Far too many managers and supervisors are either afraid to delegate tasks and responsibilities to their people or feel they are the only ones who can do things the way they need to be done. Several years ago, Nevada Business Journal did a survey asking employees to identify what motivated them. While money was on the list, it was well down in the rankings. What people identified as most motivating were: challenging work; an opportunity to learn; advancement in the organization; and working with people they liked and respected. Delegating is one of the ways in which managers and supervisors can give their people an opportunity to learn and develop knowledge and skills and meet the items identified as motivators.
However, the tasks delegated should not always be those the manager or supervisor hates to do. Rather, the tasks delegated should be those that not only allow individuals to learn more about the organization and the next job up the line, but also give them a better understanding of the business and the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to advance.
The most important factors influencing the decision to delegate are the employee’s levels of competence, expertise and experience. If an individual has the knowledge, expertise and experience to do the job, then delegation is a matter of explaining expectations, desired outcomes and deadlines. The only additional step needed may be an agreement on reporting project status and issues on a mutually agreed-upon schedule.
At the other end of the spectrum however, are people who do not have the knowledge, expertise or experience needed to successfully complete the delegated task. It is then up to the delegating manager or supervisor to outline the project, describe the expected outcomes, timelines, resources available and other critical information. It is vital the manager or supervisor ensures that the individual understands what is expected, has had any questions answered and has a clear picture of available resources and possible constraints.
It is then up to the manager or supervisor to identify and agree upon a schedule of meetings with the individual. The less experienced an individual is in working with a task, the more frequent the meetings need to be in order to minimize potential problems. The meetings are to track progress, help the individual maintain focus, answer any questions and provide support as needed.
As an individual gains additional knowledge, expertise and experience, the follow-up process becomes less frequent and detailed. When you see managers and supervisors working late after their people have gone home for the day, working weekends on a regular basis or saying they don’t have anyone who can perform a specific task, the organization has problems.
Far too often managers and supervisors delegate something to an individual and then disappear, only to reappear at some later date to ask why the project is off track, over budget or stalled, and then blame the employee. Effective delegation is all about knowing what your people can handle, getting them to stretch and grow, but also providing the type of leadership and guidance that minimizes the likelihood of failure.
Abdicating is giving out work, walking away and expecting results when people haven’t been prepared or supported. Effective delegation helps build an organization in which people have the depth of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully at many different levels. The value it brings to an organization’s bottom line is enormous.
