Managers are responsible for getting things done through other people. You need to accomplish assigned goals by delegating responsibility and authority to others. Empowering others through delegation is one of the most powerful managerial tools for increasing productivity.

Empowering others

Managers delegate by transferring authority and responsibility for work to employees. Delegation empowers employees to achieve goals by allowing them to make their own decisions about how to do a job. Delegation also helps develop employees for promotion opportunities by expanding their knowledge, job capabilities, and decision-making skills.

Delegating lets you focus on key strategic activities and can also lead to better decision-making

Feeling the benefits

Effective delegation is key for any manager. It will free up your time, allowing you to focus on big-picture strategic activities. It can also lead to better decisionmaking, because it pushes decisions down the organization, meaning that decision-makers are often closer to the problems. It also helps those you are managing develop their own decision-making skills and prepares them for future promotion opportunities.

The four components of delegation

ALLOCATION OF DUTIES : Before a manager can delegate authority, the tasks and activities that need to be accomplished must be explained.

DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY : Delegation is the process of transferring authority to empower a subordinate to act for you as a manager.

ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY : Managers should assign responsibility to the empowered employee for performing the job adequately.

CREATION OF ACCOUNTABILITY : Managers should hold empowered employees responsible for properly carrying out their duties. This includes taking responsibility for the completion of tasks assigned to them and also being accountable to the manager for the satisfactory performance of that work.

Letting go

Managers often have trouble delegating. Some are afraid to give up control, explaining, “I like to do things myself, because then I know it’s done and it’s done right.” Others lack confidence in their employees or fear that they may be criticized for others’ mistakes. While you may be capable of doing the tasks you delegate better, faster, or with fewer mistakes, it is not possible to do everything yourself. If you often feel that your team isn’t taking ownership of projects it may suggest that you are handing out tasks,rather than delegating responsibility. When you delegate, you should expect, and accept, some mistakes by those you delegate to. Mistakes are often good learning experiences. You also should put in place adequate mechanisms for feedback so you will know what is happening.

20%
of your activity yields 80% of your results; try to do more of the 20% and delegate the 80%

You should expect and accept some mistakes by those you delegate to; mistakes are often good learning experiences

How to delegate

CLARIFY THE ASSIGNMENT : Explain what is being delegated, the results you expect, and the timeframe.

SET BOUNDARIES : Ensure that the
delegatees understand precisely what the parameters are of the authority you are bestowing on them.

ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION : Involve delegatees in decisions about what is delegated, how much authority is
needed, and standards to be attained.

INFORM OTHERS : Let everyone who may be affected know what has been delegated to whom and how much authority has been granted.

ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT : Insist from the beginning that when delegatees come to you with a problem, they also bring a possible solution.

ESTABLISH CONTROLS : Agree on a specifictime for completion of the task, and set dates when progress will be checked and problems discussed.