Delegation

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(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

What Is Delegation?

Delegating is the assignment of tasks and responsibilities to help employees make their best contribution to the overall effectiveness of your department/organization.
When you delegate you become a teacher, a coach. You tell an employee how to perform a new task effectively, show how it is done and then ask that he or she demonstrate the task that has been done.
Delegating takes time, patience and follow up to ensure that it is done right.

Contribution of Others Makes You a Good Manager

You cannot do all the work by yourself and so you must delegate and tap the special creativity of each individual. Building good relations with employees help motivate them to do the work that needs to be done; employees start liking you and more importantly, they start respecting you.
Here are some tips:

Knowledge gives you power and then you share it, you earn respect. So teach those who work for you.
Set a good example by demonstrating, by doing the work yourself but do not overdo it. Your skills are more important as supervisor/manager than a worker.
Create a relaxed but efficient working climate.
Circulate and communicate. Give credit freely when it is due.
Keep an open door policy.

Why Delegate?

To give you more time to concentrate on priority work
To develop and motivate your people
To make use of other people’s specialist skills
To ensure an even spread of work across the team
To do things quicker by concurrent activity

Why People Don’t Delegate?

Unable or unwilling to let go
Lack of faith in subordinates’ abilities
Fear that subordinates will perform better
Believing you can do it quicker and better yourself
Like to give impression of being overworked
Enjoying doing the job- “getting their hands dirty”
Lack of training
Difficult or aggressive subordinates
No time to work out what the job entails

What To Delegate?

Routine jobs, together with attendant responsibility and power to make decisions
Whole jobs- to give a sense of achievement
Jobs that others can do better and probably more cheaply too

What Not To Delegate?

Accountability for the task- it is part of your job you are doing
New tasks without giving guidance or training
Unpleasant tasks which are really your responsibility

How to Delegate: Ten Steps to Take

Step 1 Analyze your work and identify task you feel will provide you with additional freedom as well as benefiting the employee to whom you assign the responsibility.
Step 2 Select the most logical individual for the task identified and delegate it.
Step3 Instruct the individual selected how to perform the task, even by demonstrating.
Step 4 Solicit feedback to ensure that the employee is prepared to assume new responsibility.
Step 5 Allow the employee the free do to practice the new assignment for a few days.
Step 6 Follow up in a positive manner. Praise for good job and correct if required.
Step 7 Consider the rotation of tasks so that each employee gets skilled in many jobs.
Step 8 Delegate those assignments that prepare employees to take over in absence of others- including you.
Step 9 Give everyone an opportunity to contribute. Solicit ideas. Use their special talents and abilities.
Step 10 Discuss new assignments and rotation plans with the entire group to obtain feedback and generate enthusiasm.

Action For Effective Delegation