Introduction
According to a recent Conference Board report, 78% of all personnel in major corporations believe that their “boss, manager, or superior, with whom [they have] a reporting relationship” “routinely does work that would be more effectively done by someone at [my] level.”
78%. That probably includes you. Fortunately, most managers agree with their team members.
66% of managers say they would like to “increase their use of delegation as a time management and personnel development tool.”
To determine whether you are a good candidate for considering delegation as a tool to improve your (and thereby your team’s) performance, take this simple analysis:
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Do you allow your team members to make mistakes? | ||
| 2. Do you frequently take work home or work late at the office? | ||
| 3. Does your team function smoothly when you are absent? | ||
| 4. Do you over-rule or reverse decisions made by team members? | ||
| 5. If you were incapacitated for 6 months, could a team member take over smoothly? | ||
| 6. Do you do some things your team members could be doing? | ||
| 7. Do your team members take initiative without input from you? | ||
| 8. When you return from a trip or training, is there a big pile in your in-box? | ||
| 9. Do your team members delegate to their teams (if applicable)? | ||
| 10. Do you spend time on details that you would rather spend on planning and supervision? |
To determine whether delegation may be able to help you, give yourself one point for each answer of "Yes" on the even-numbered questions (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10), and one point for each answer of "No" on the odd-numbered questions (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9).
The higher your score, the more likely you are to need to use delegation more than you are now. Any score higher than 5 indicates some need for additional delegation of tasks.
Delegation, when it is done well, has three important components.
- It assigns responsibility. You make clear that the team member to whom you are delegating is now responsible for the outcome of this effort. It is not them “doing something for you”. It is them gaining a new (even if temporary) duty. Remember that you assigning them responsibility for the task doesn’t take away your own responsibility. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to get the work done.
- It provides authority. The team member to whom you are delegating must have or be explicitly given the power to accomplish the task/project. In many cases, a manager is already doing what a team member should be doing. That means it won’t be too difficult for both parties to know that the team member has the requisite power or authority in the eyes of others within the organisation to do the job.
- It requires accountability. Hold the team member accountable for success or failure. This is not a role-play or comfortable training exercise where no real result is achieved. This also means that the team member will get the rewards if there are any individual ones. Feedback and accountability go hand in hand – if you delegate, be prepared to give feedback!
Delegation Checklist
Analyse your job
Look at your objectives, and what is expected of you. What do you do to actually achieve those goals? In other words, what tasks do you actually do that relate to those things you are evaluated upon? There is a big difference between “maximising profit” and “retaining purchase authority over R10 000”. Then ask: “Can anyone else do this for the team?” Also, for those things you do which no one can do, ask whether a team member could be trained to do it (didn’t you, at some point, not know how to do it?). Finally, it’s not a bad idea to discuss this analysis with your supervisor, to avoid any areas where she feels it is inappropriate to delegate.
Decide what to delegate
Once you have come up with a list from the analysis above, ask yourself: which tasks do I engage in most often? The more often you do something (particularly if it is quite routine), the more likely it is that you can delegate that task. In addition, look at areas that make you “over-specialied.” Moreover, look at places where your team is more qualified than you are. Look at areas you dislike. This is not just to dump it on someone else, but it may be that someone on your team may love to do what you don’t like. Remember to delegate some things that you do like as well. The acid test most highly effective executives use when delegating is “I’m going to try to delegate everything that is not a key/high priority for me.” Ineffective managers do as much as they can, and then whatever’s left (even if it is high priority!), they delegate.
Select the Right Person
Consider each of your team members’ interests and abilities. What developmental needs does each have? Who needs this most? Look at their upcoming schedule, their expressed desires for growth. Consider their interest in this task or project.
Plan the delegation
Before you actually ask the team member to accept this new (though perhaps temporary) responsibility, plan the meeting you will have with them. Do a walkthrough, virtual role-play, or dress rehearsal of the entire meeting. What would you ask if you were the person being delegated to? Make sure you have all the necessary details. Be clear in advance what are reasonable limits on authority. Write down what the performance standards are. Write down what the ongoing feedback loop will look like. How often do you want a report or some kind of update? And, in that update, determine what constitutes a minimum acceptable level of information. (Otherwise, after 6 weeks of “everything’s fine”, you may get an “Uh-oh”.) Plan for training or coaching if it is necessary for this team member’s success.
Make the delegation
This is the meeting where you actually ask the team member to accept the new task or project. Schedule it in advance. After your practice run above, you should be able to estimate the necessary length. By asking, as opposed to saying, “I want you to…”, you give them the opportunity to verbally commit to the task or effort. Discuss how they will have authority, be responsible, and be accountable. Be specific. It is particularly important that you focus on results versus methods. If you tell them how to do it, they are doing it for you. When you tell them what results are acceptable, you show that you trust their judgment.
Follow up
This is the weakest area (not just in delegation) for newer managers. Insist on timely updates and information, per the agreement you planned for and delivered, and to which they agreed. If a deadline or suspense is missed, immediately address it with feedback. Ask them what they need as much as possible, versus telling them what to do. That reinforces that this duty is theirs, and not yours. Also,
fight your tendency to take back an assignment because it is not going well or because it has somehow become more important to the organization. Provide feedback on the overall process when the project is complete. And, when results are achieved…
Celebrate success!
Example delegation template
| The Guideline | How It Sounds |
|---|---|
| A) State your need for help | “Zukiswa, I need your help.” |
| B) Say why you are asking this person versus another (trust, skill, development, interest) | “You’re my most competent and organised coder.” |
| C) Ask for specific acceptance1 | “Would you be willing to take over the monthly statistical report preparation?” |
| D) Describe the task in detail | “Here’s what’s involved…” |
| E) State deadline and quality standards | “It has to be turned in to Johanna Coetzee by the last Friday of the month, so I will need it the last Wednesday to review it. It must be 100% error-free when we forward it.” |
| F) Discuss reporting standards | “I’d like you to give me an update each Tuesday, and in the beginning, I’ll want to actually see the work you have done, to make sure we’re on the right track.” |
| G) Discuss Skill/Training Needs | “What do you need from me in order to do this? What can I show you, or whom I can direct you to, to make this go smoothly?” |
[This page uses content which is copyright of Manager Tools ]
See also…
SMS people management and empowerment: This is one of eleven competences that appear in the SMS Competency Framework for senior managers in South Africa's Public Service.
External Links
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