1. A Primer for Managers to practice Delegation
successfully
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2. Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:
Appreciate the importance of delegating to others as a way to offload
work and get more done in your busy life
Face your fear of delegation and learn to think positively of delegating
tasks to others
Adopt an appropriate strategy to delegate the right task to the right
people at the right time and in the right way
Use a systematic step-by-step approach to brief people on what you
want to delegate to them
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3. What is Delegation?
Delegation is the assignment of responsibility to
another person for the purpose of carrying out specific
job-related activities. Delegation is a shift of decision-
making authority from one organizational level to
another.
4. Benefits of Delegation
Manager / Supervisor Benefits
Reduced stress
Improved time management
Increased trust
Employee Benefits
Professional knowledge and skill development
Elevated self-esteem and confidence
Sense of achievement
Organizational Benefits
Increased teamwork
Increased productivity and efficiency
5. Why Not?
…its too hard!
…it takes too much time!
…nobody can do it as good as I
can
…nobody else has any time
either……
6.
7. Knowing When to Delegate
Delegating can be especially helpful in the following
situations:
When the task offers valuable training to an employee
When an employee has more knowledge or experience
related to the task than you
When the task is recurring and all employees should be
prepared or trained
When the task is of low priority and you have high
priority tasks that require your immediate attention
8. To Whom Should You
Delegate?
When deciding who to select for the task, you must
consider:
The current work load of the employee
The employee’s strengths and weaknesses
The training and experience levels of the employee
11. Steps in Delegation
I – Introduce the task
D- Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done
E - Ensure understanding
A - Allocate authority, information and resources
L - Let go
S - Support and Monitor
13. Introduce the Task
Determine the task to
be delegated
Determine the tasks to
retain
Select the delegate
Those tasks you
completed prior to
assuming new role
Those tasks your
delegates have more
experience with
Routine activities
Those things not in your
core competency
14. Introduce the Task
Determine the task to
be delegated
Determine the tasks
to retain
Select the delegate
Supervision of the
subordinates
Long-term planning
Tasks only you can do
Assurance of program
compliance
Dismissal of
volunteers/members/par
ents, etc.
15. Introduce the Task
Determine the task to
be delegated
Determine the tasks to
retain
Select the delegate
Look at the individual
strengths/weaknesses
Determine the areas of
interest
Determine the need for
development of the
delegate
17. What-Why
Statements
In your groups, brainstorm 5 tasks you are
currently doing that could be delegated.
Determine who would serve as your best
delegate for each of the tasks.
Compose what – why statements for each
of the 5 tasks brainstormed.
20. Allocate…
authority, information, resources
Grant authority to determine process, not desired
outcomes
Provide access to all information sources
Refer delegate to contact persons or specific
resources that have assisted previously
Provide appropriate training to ensure success
21. Let go…
Communicate delegate’s authority
Step back, let them work
Use constrained access
Don’t allow for reverse delegation
22. Support and Monitor
Schedule follow-up meetings
Review progress
Assist, when requested
Avoid interference
Publicly praise progress and completion
Encourage problem solving
23. In your group, select one task from your
previous group work. Determine 5
techniques that would be effective for
supporting/monitoring the progress of a
delegate.
25. Delegation Stressors
Loss of control?
If you train your subordinates to apply the same
criteria as you would yourself, then they will be
exercising your control on your behalf.
26. Delegation Stressors
Too much time spent on explaining the tasks
The amount of time spent up front is, in fact, great.
But, continued use of delegation may free you up to
complete more complex tasks and/or gain you some
time for yourself.
27. Delegation Stressors
Compromising your own value
By successfully utilizing appropriate delegation, your
value to the group/organization will grow at a greater
rate as you will have more time to do more things…….
28. Delegation Obstacles
Lack of support
Managers and employees must be fully supportive of the
delegation efforts in order to be successful
Failure to plan
Taking the time to follow the steps for delegation can avoid
any pitfalls that might otherwise be overlooked
Lack of communication
Communicating the plan in a clear and precise manner
prevents errors caused by miscommunication
29. Delegation Obstacles (cont’d.)
Fear of relinquishing control
Management may be resistant to delegating at first, but
delegation can build trust and morale among managers and
employees
Micromanagement
Micromanagement prevents employees from completing
their assigned tasks and defeats the purpose of delegation
30. Signs of Micromanagement
Micromanaging occurs when a manager assigns a task
to an employee, but prevents the employee from
successfully completing the task on his/her own
Micromanagers usually:
Resist delegating
Prevent employees from making decisions
Revoke tasks after they have been assigned
Avoid letting employees work independently
31. How to Avoid Micromanagement
Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of
managers and employees
Create a written plan and timeline
Include scheduled meetings and evaluations rather
than frequent ‘check ins’ that can be viewed as
micromanaging
Allow employees and managers to openly
communicate any concerns or questions they may
have
32. Practice Makes Perfect
It gets easier the more you do it
You become more familiar with your delegates
Flow-through task delegation
34. Consequences of poor delegating
Information and decision-making not shared by the group
Leaders become tired out
When leaders leave groups, no one has experience to carry
on
Group morale becomes low and people become frustrated
and feel powerless
The skills and knowledge of the group/organization are
concentrated in a few people
New members don’t find any ways to contribute to the
work of the group.
35. And, finally…..
“The secret of success is not in doing your own work
but in recognizing the right [person] to do it.”
~Andrew Carnegie