leadingtoday.org
Leadership Tip of the Month
June 2005
Copyright 2005 ã weLEAD, Inc.
The Art of Delegation
One of the most
important skills a leader can exercise is the right use of delegation. Some managers who are “control oriented”
rarely delegate tasks, and when they do they closely monitor the results to
insure they are exactly performed the way they would do it! On the other hand,
some managers delegate virtually all their own tasks in an effort to avoid work
or responsibility. Between these two extremes is an effective balance! Proper
delegation involves giving new and different tasks to individuals who report to
you. It is a power sharing agreement
where the delegator provides direction on the tasks
involved, the magnitude of responsibilities given, and the range of discretion
granted to make decisions without the delegator’s
approval. In this leadership tip we will discuss what to delegate and
next month we will examine how to delegate tasks. Here are some ideas on
what to delegate to others…
Delegate tasks that are
not a high priority, but are considered urgent. Duties that need to get done quickly but are
not highly important are good tasks to delegate. If you seem to have a number
of urgent tasks, but never seem to have enough time to complete them, consider
delegating them as an option. It is better for these duties to be completed on
time and routinely by others, rather than be delayed or ignored by you.
Delegate tasks of
suitable difficulty. Again, balance is the key with this point. Any task you delegate
should be a challenge and difficult enough to encourage new learning
skills. Allow some minor mistakes to occur as this is an important part of the
learning process. However, don’t delegate tasks that are “over” someone’s head
or potential skill level. It is not productive to give someone a responsibility
that will result in failure and undermine their self-confidence.
Delegate tasks that can
help challenge or develop another’s career path. If you are preparing an individual
to move into a specific role of greater responsibility, delegate to them tasks that
are relevant to that future role. Perhaps you can make a delegated task part of
a “new project” with the intent of helping them to develop new skills. This is
also a good way to guide and evaluate
a person for an advanced opportunity, before telling them what you have in mind
and making a verbal commitment. If they don’t demonstrate the skills or
temperament needed in the “special project”, you will not need to renege on a
verbal commitment.
Delegate tasks that are
better done by others. Be honest with yourself.
Some folks who report to us have talents and skills we do not necessarily have.
Because they are often closer to a problem or opportunity, they are in a
position to make better decisions that we can. These are the kinds of tasks
that are ideal to be delegated and performed by others.
Delegate tasks that are
not central to your role. Don’t delegate tasks that are at the “core” of
your job duties or responsibilities. This would include roles such as setting
objectives, strategy, allocating resources, or evaluating performance and
personnel decisions. Also, don’t delegate tasks that are symbolic and expected to be performed by you! For
example, if you traditionally give a speech at an annual company event or “hand
out gifts” at a picnic, these are not the kind of tasks to delegate.
Delegate a variety of
tasks including pleasant duties. Don’t hoard all the enjoyable tasks to yourself
and only give repetitive and boring tasks to others. If this is repeatedly
done, the tasks you delegate will be performed without enthusiasm and decrease
job satisfaction. Over time, it adds more stress to those who inherit these
tasks and the quality of their work and decision-making will decline. The right
balance is to delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks.
For
weLEAD, this is