WHEN AND HOW TO DELEGATEOver the years, Steve has worked hard on his growing business. Now, though, he can't keep up with the demands on his time. Some decisions and actions don't get completed because he can't get to everything. On top of that, his company's growth curve has begun to slow and competitors are taking some of his market share.
Steve thought about delegating some of the work. But, with the threat from his competitors, he feels he has to be personally involved in every aspect of the company. Nobody knows the business and industry as well as he does.
Resistance to delegating is understandable. Owners and executives are frequently concerned that:
- others
won't do the job correctly or efficiently
- it will
take too much time to train others to do delegated tasks
- new hires
will cost too much
- if employees
learn too much about the business they will leave and become
another competitor.
At some point, delegation is imperative. Here's why:
- When
owners and executives don't delegate appropriately, they lose focus
on their primary role in the organization - leader and strategic visionary.
They allow urgent secondary issues to become the focus. At some point,
nobody is watching the "big picture," the vision and strategic
direction get lost, and competitors move in.
- Salaries
are the biggest expense in most organizations. Human capital is their
greatest asset. Training and developing their people will maximize a
company's human resources and optimize delegation.
- Research indicates that employees are happier in jobs that offer appropriate challenges and help them grow professionally. Delegation can be an intentional part of an employee's development plan.
One can delegate specific tasks, projects or ongoing functions. The delegate can be an individual or a team. Here are some suggestions for successful delegation:
- Match
the assignment to the individual. Delegating slightly more than what
the person has handled before will provide a growth opportunity. Don't
always pick the same dependable people. Piling another critical project
on a "maxed-out" employee may not be a smart move. If there
isn't anyone qualified, you may need to do some training or hiring.
Consider delegating one piece at a time of a larger project.
- Communicate
the task very clearly. What, exactly, are the expected outcomes? Delegate
the objective, not the procedure. Confirm the employee's understanding
of the assignment and be sure there is buy-in.
- Work out
a plan. Specify the outcomes, the timeframe, the way success will be
measured, specific procedures and intervals for evaluating progress,
etc.
- Provide
all the resources that the person will need to succeed. An adequate
budget, necessary training, mentoring, your personal support, etc. will
all be important.
- Delegate
authority with accountability. Waiting for approvals to go up and down
the hierarchy, running into opposition from other individuals or departments,
etc. will slow a project down and discourage the employee.
- Show the
employee trust, respect and patience. Harping on mistakes, "spying"
to see how things are coming, stepping in to solve problems or show
the "right" way to do things, etc. will demoralize the employee.
- Be willing to take risks. Expect a learning curve. Use mistakes as a way to learn and then let them go.
Thoughtful delegation can give owners and executives time to focus on their job, maximize the benefit of the organization's human assets, and empower the entire organization.
To develop your delegation skills, read How to Delegate by Robert Heller, Robert Maddux's Delegating for Results or One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Blanchard and Oncken.
What is your experience with delegation? What does it take to delegate effectively? Send your stories, quotes, thoughts. As space permits, I will try to publish them. Send them to Glen@SolutionLeader.com.
WANT A LITTLE HELP?
It's been my life's work and my passion to help individuals and organizations create their own best futures. Let's work on it. You can do it!
PLEASE CALL ME at 704-788-9184 or Email me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com.
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