Table of Contents

What is delegation?.....................................................................................................................................3

Elements in Delegation................................................................................................................................4

Four Levels of Delegation When Managing People in Business...................................................................4

Level 1 - Zero Authority...........................................................................................................................5

Level 2 - Minimal Authority.....................................................................................................................6

Level 3 - Moderate Authority..................................................................................................................6

Level 4 - Total Authority..........................................................................................................................6

Kinds of Delegation......................................................................................................................................7

(A) Thus according to its jurisdiction, delegation can be:........................................................................7

(B) According to the manner of communication, delegation can be-......................................................7

(C) On the basis of its direction, delegation can be.................................................................................7

(1) Downward Delegation:...................................................................................................................7

(2) Upward Delegation:.......................................................................................................................8

(3) Lateral Delegation:.........................................................................................................................8

The Six Steps to Delegation........................................................................................................................8

1. Prepare................................................................................................................................................8

2. Assign...................................................................................................................................................8

3. Confirm Understanding......................................................................................................................8

4. Commitment.......................................................................................................................................9

5. Avoiding “Delegating Back”................................................................................................................9

6. Accountability......................................................................................................................................9

Delegation and SMART or SMARTER.........................................................................................................10

Why You Should Delegate.........................................................................................................................10

Benefits For You....................................................................................................................................11

Save Time..........................................................................................................................................11

Achieve More....................................................................................................................................11

Increase Your Value...........................................................................................................................11

Benefits For Your Team Members.........................................................................................................11

Development.....................................................................................................................................11

Self-esteem........................................................................................................................................11

Job Enhancement..............................................................................................................................12

Benefits For Your Team.........................................................................................................................12

1. Efficiency......................................................................................................................................12

2. Flexibility......................................................................................................................................12

3. Teamwork......................................................................................................................................12

4. Balanced Workloads......................................................................................................................12

5. Aid Communication.......................................................................................................................12

6. Retain Good Team Members.........................................................................................................12

Why People Don’t Delegate......................................................................................................................13

Barriers from You..................................................................................................................................13

1. Not Enough Time...........................................................................................................................13

2. Losing Control................................................................................................................................14

3. Not Getting Credit..........................................................................................................................14

4. Losing Tasks You Enjoy...................................................................................................................14

5. You Can Do it Better.......................................................................................................................14

6. Delegate Out of a Job....................................................................................................................14

7. No Confidence in Team Members.................................................................................................14

Barriers from Your Team Members.......................................................................................................15

1. Not Enough Time...........................................................................................................................15

2. Not Enough Experience.................................................................................................................15

3. Fear of Failure................................................................................................................................15

4. Not their Responsibility.................................................................................................................15

5. Fear of Being a Scapegoat..............................................................................................................15

6. Reactions from Other Team Members..........................................................................................16

Barriers from the Situation....................................................................................................................16

Resources..........................................................................................................................................16

Hierarchy...........................................................................................................................................16

Common Errors of Delegating:..................................................................................................................16

Under-Delegation..................................................................................................................................16

Over-Delegation....................................................................................................................................17

The employees may become over worked and tired which can decrease productivity........................17

Occurs when the delegator loses control over a situation by giving too much authority or responsibility to the delegate................................................................................................................17

Improper Delegation.............................................................................................................................17

Includes such as things delegating at the wrong time, to the wrong person or for the wrong reason..17

What is delegation?

Delegation (or passing down) is the partnership of authority and not responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of management leadership. However, the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one. Delegation, if properly done, is not abdication. The opposite of effective delegation is micromanagement, where a manager provides too much input, direction, and review of delegated work. In general, delegation is good and can save money and time, help in building skills, and motivate people. Poor delegation, on the other hand, might cause frustration and confusion to all the involved parties.[1] Some agents however do not favour a delegation and consider the power of making a decision rather burdensome

Delegation is one of the most important management skills. These logical rules and techniques will help you to delegate well (and will help you to help your manager when you are being delegated a task or new responsibility - delegation is a two-way process!). Good delegation saves you time, develops you people, grooms a successor, and motivates. Poor delegation will cause you frustration, demotivates and confuses the other person, and fails to achieve the task or purpose itself. So it's a management skill that's worth improving. Here are the simple steps to follow if you want to get delegation right, with different levels of delegation freedom that you can offer.

This delegation skills guide deals with general delegation principles and process, which is applicable to individuals and teams, or to specially formed groups of people for individual projects (including 'virtual teams').

Delegation is a very helpful aid for succession planning, personal development - and seeking and encouraging promotion. It's how we grow in the job - delegation enables us to gain experience to take on higher responsibilities.

Delegation is vital for effective leadership. See the leadership tips and leadership theories webpages for guidance and explanation of how delegation enables and increases leadership effectiveness.

Effective delegation is crucial for management and leadership succession. For the successor, and for the manager or leader too: the main task of a manager in a growing thriving organization is ultimately to develop a successor. When this happens everyone can move on to

higher things. When it fails to happen the succession and progression becomes dependent on bringing in new people from outside.

Delegation can be used to develop your people people and yourself - delegation is not just a management technique for freeing up the boss's time. Of course there is a right way to do it. These delegation tips and techniques are useful for bosses - and for anyone seeking or being given delegated responsibilities.

As a giver of delegated tasks you must ensure delegation happens properly. Just as significantly, as the recipient of delegated tasks you have the opportunity to 'manage upwards' and suggest improvements to the delegation process and understanding - especially if your boss could use the help.

Managing the way you receive and agree to do delegated tasks is one of the central skills of 'managing upwards'. Therefore while this page is essentially written from the manager's standpoint, the principles are just as useful for people being managed.

Elements in DelegationAuthority:

The right to act or empower.

Accountability:

Ownership for one’s actions, being liable and being willing to be judged by performance standards.

Responsibility:

Obligation to act.

Autonomy:

The freedom to act.

Four Levels of Delegation When Managing People in BusinessDelegation isn't just a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide range of varying freedom that you can confer on the other person. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, then the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task then the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if your job or reputation depends on getting a good result. Take care to choose the most appropriate style for

each situation. For each example the statements are simplified for clarity; in reality you would choose a less abrupt style of language, depending on the person and the relationship. At the very least, a "Please" and "Thank-you" would be included in the requests.

It's important also to ask the other person what level of authority they feel comfortable being given. Why guess? When you ask, you can find out for sure and agree this with the other person. Some people are confident; others less so. It's your responsibility to agree with them what level is most appropriate, so that the job is done effectively and with minimal unnecessary involvement from you. Involving the other person in agreeing the level of delegated freedom for any particular responsibility is an essential part of the 'contract' that you make with them.

These levels of delegation are not an exhaustive list. There are many more shades of grey between these black-and-white examples. Take time to discuss and adapt the agreements and 'contracts' that you make with people regarding delegated tasks, responsibility and freedom according to the situation.

Be creative in choosing levels of delegated responsibility, and always check with the other person that they are comfortable with your chosen level. People are generally capable of doing far more than you imagine.

The rate and extent of responsibility and freedom delegated to people is a fundamental driver of organizational growth and effectiveness, the growth and well-being of your people, and of your own development and advancement.

Level 1 - Zero Authority

This degree of authority is best given for tasks that are so important or particularly complex in their nature that you need a high level of involvement to ensure they are completed correctly. It could also be a task that is of a type that the person receiving it has no or little previous experience of, and therefore cannot reasonably assume authority for it. Because of this very limited autonomy, such zero authority matters can be repetitive, dull or otherwise uninspiring but that is simply the nature of the job.

When delegating a task with this lowest level of authority it is important to explain to the person why you are doing so. This is good practice because the person could otherwise misconstrue that you do not trust them, souring your present and future relationship. So be sure to explain that the decision does not reflect on them, but rather on the nature of the task itself.

By understanding and correctly applying the four levels of delegation above you will not only improve the outcomes of delegated tasks, but also boost your own productivity and aid the development of those completing them.

A common example in a business setting might be assigning someone junior to do the final proofread of an important document. If the aim is just to ensure that there are no errors, the person to whom this task is delegated will be expected merely to follow their instruction rather than providing input about the document’s actual content, format, presentation, readability etc

Level 2 - Minimal Authority

Completing delegated tasks with a low level authority given is a key stage in the development of an individual employee moving up from the zero authority level. This second stage allows for their own skills and performance to start having an impact on the desired outcome, with the consequent growing feelings of satisfaction, loyalty and value that such involvement brings.

For tasks of this degree of authority you should ensure have a system for monitoring the colleague’s progress and reassure them that they should contact you if they run into difficulty with the task. This helps to ensure both that the task progresses smoothly and that the employee does not lose motivation or confidence when confronted with obstacles that they may not think they can overcome on their own.

Level 3 - Moderate Authority

Tasks delegated with this mid-level of authority allow the person receiving them to engage in decision-making without your direct involvement. It is of course crucial to ensure that they are comfortable with the additional responsibility that comes with this level of authority before the task itself begins, otherwise there may be problems later.

In addition, the person will be managing the individual goals that make up the task and assessing how well these have been performed themselves. This can sometimes represent a challenge for an inexperienced employee who is unused to that level of autonomy, and is thus worth keeping an eye on from a manager’s point of view to avoid discovering inadequacies at the end of the task or timeframe.

As with minimal authority tasks, the person will still report back to you with progress. But crucially they will also be expected to set a higher threshold for problems that require your attention, which must be significant enough to be incapable of resolving on their own. They will still be accountable for their problem-solving decisions, but need not seek constant supervision or approval of them

Level 4 - Total Authority

Tasks of this level of authority give the person receiving them complete control of each task through to its completion, with only minimal reporting back to you required.

This is when delegation can be most effective in boosting a manager’s productivity, saving time and helping individual employees develop skills and grow in confidence. It requires employees to be mature, self-sufficient, reliable and accountable in order to dispense with too much oversight, and as such will undoubtedly need to be granted on a selective basis.

Due to the attributes and mentality required, being allowed total authority over a task or a matter can be a big change for an employee (as allowing it can be for the manager). However, in successful career-minded individuals the pride and respect that arise from having such a role far outweigh the ‘risks’ or pressures of taking this form of authority and testing themselves in a new, challenging way that represents the next step upward and onward to success

Kinds of DelegationDelegation can be divided into several categories.

(A) Thus according to its jurisdiction, delegation can be:

(1) Specific i.e. related to particular jobs or area of responsibility such as preparation of balance sheet, installation of a machine; or

(2) General i.e., extended over a broad area such as assisting in the general management of an enterprise, management of personnel, production and so on.

(B) According to the manner of communication, delegation can be-

(1) Verbal i.e., by word of mouth; or

(2) Written i.e., in black and white, which means that duties and authorities are laid down in written words.

(C) On the basis of its direction, delegation can be

(1) Downward (2) upward or (3) lateral.

(1) Downward Delegation:

Generally all delegations are downward i.e., by a superior officer to his subordinates.

(2) Upward Delegation:

Sometimes, however, on the ground of personal incapacity, or lack of suitable power or resource a subordinate may transfer back a part of his job to his superior. In practice some clever, subordinates are in the habit of shirking responsibility by pleading ignorance or giving some other false pretext.

(3) Lateral Delegation:

These are informal arrangements made by the managers concerned. In case of splintered authority (as between three managers of equal rank) two of them can each transfer their respective authorities to the third man who thus gets full power to perform the work.

The Six Steps to DelegationWalking through this process becomes faster and more fluid the more you implement it.  When you have mastered this process, it will be a part of your managerial DNA; you’ll flow through it easily and reap consistently outstanding results.

1. PrepareEmployees can’t deliver results successfully if the task delegated to them isn’t fully thought out or results are a moving target.  Take the time and create the discipline to know what you’re asking for since an ounce of prevention of worth the pound of cure repairing a situation where delegating falls apart.

2. Assign Hand over the deliverable with timing, budget and context to enhance understanding. Provide tips and coaching while making it clear to the employee that she owns the

process. Set expectations for communication and updates: frequency, content, in person or via

email, etc. Have an open door policy for the employee to ask questions.

3.  Confirm Understanding

One of the most critical areas where delegating tends to fall apart is when an assumption is made that the other person understands what we mean.  Confirming understanding is a process that takes about 60 seconds and can determine the success or failure of delegation more than any other step in the process.

Have the employee paraphrase the deliverable you’ve assigned in his own words. Be up front about the process of delegating.  This is simply a step that helps you both be

certain there is clear understanding. Be creative about how you elicit the paraphrasing from your employee.  Replace the

phrase, “Now what did I just tell you?” with “How would you explain this task to a fellow employee?”

Ask employees if they feel they have the tools and resources to be successful. Ask questions to make sure employees understand what the task will require.

4.  CommitmentThis is another area that most managers tend to skip in the delegation process.  Managers assume an employee’s acceptance of the task.  In a relay race, the most critical stage is handing the baton to the next runner.  A huge amount of training is invested in learning the handoff.  It’s no different in organizations.  Commitment is making sure you’ve successfully handed over the baton.

5.  Avoiding “Delegating Back”Many of the managers who begin working with me are extremely overworked, and one of the first determinations is that their employees are better at delegating than the manager.  We know this because delegated tasks return to the manger’s workload.  I call this “delegating back.”  There are very few, if any, cases when a manager taking back a delegated task is necessary.  When an employee reaches an impasse, managers need to coach them through it, but let employees do their job.  Don’t take tasks back.

6. AccountabilityCommunication in delegation is key.  Finding out that a deliverable wasn’t completed or wasn’t done satisfactorily after the completion date is the nightmare scenario of delegating. Accountability is actually the act of giving a report on progress.

It can be difficult to overcome the myths of delegating and getting into the process of conducting all six steps when delegating tasks.  By implementing this process, a manager creates a work environment that is more productive, fosters creativity and opportunities for growth and focuses on the importance of communication.

Five Rights of Delegation

Right Task Right Circumstance Right Person Right Communication Right Supervision

Delegation and SMART or SMARTER A simple delegation rule is the SMART acronym, or better still, SMARTER. It's a quick checklist for proper delegation. Delegated tasks must be:

Specific Measurable Agreed Realistic Timebound Ethical Recorded

Traditional interpretations of the SMARTER acronym use 'Exciting' or 'Enjoyable', however, although a high level of motivation often results when a person achieves and is given recognition for a particular delegated task, which in itself can be exciting and enjoyable, in truth, let's be honest, it is not always possible to ensure that all delegated work is truly 'exciting' or 'enjoyable' for the recipient. More importantly, the 'Ethical' aspect is fundamental to everything that we do, assuming you subscribe to such philosophy. There are other variations of meaning - see SMART and SMARTER acronyms.

Why You Should Delegate The introduction to this training module is a great example of why a team leader should delegate. Only when the leader of the LL2 began to delegate did the team reach success. This section discusses the benefits of delegation for you, and your team members. (We acknowledge that while there were numerous barriers to delegation, the benefits far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.)

By the end of this section, you should:

Understand why delegation is an essential part of being a leader. Recognize the important benefits of delegation. Start to think of ways that you may delegate to your team.

Benefits for YouThe following three benefits are ones that are directed toward the team leader.

Save Time

As a leader, you must take time to think about goals, not just activities. As the LL2 leader learned, she had to give herself no tasks so that she could spend time managing her team. Let your teammates pick up the routine tasks like scheduling meetings and calling speakers. It is unwise to spend your time doing tasks that your team members are capable of completing themselves.

Achieve More

By not delegating, you place a heavy burden on yourself. Like the LL2 leader, eventually you may become so overwhelmed that your performance and your health suffer. Even though she had given herself all of the tasks, none of them were complete! Delegating routine work will relieve some of your stress and give you more time to do your job.

Increase Your Value

Delegating can help enhance your credibility as a leader. By allowing your teammates new ways to show their responsibility, you get their respect and loyalty. Having extra time will allow you to look for more challenging tasks that can increase the value of the activities you are planning.

Benefits for Your Team MembersThe team leader is not the only one who sees the advantages of delegation. Your teammates will see the following three benefits for themselves.

Development

When you delegate you will teach your team members new skills and give them the opportunity to develop themselves and achieve their goals. This makes them more versatile and a more important part of your team.

Self-esteem

When you give a teammate a task, it shows that you have trust and confidence in them. Having interesting and challenging work feels good, and being trusted to complete the job raises self-esteem. Having strong self-esteem can motivate your teammates to accomplish everyone’s goals.

Job Enhancement

Having interesting jobs or tasks in a team makes the work more enjoyable. When you give your teammates more responsibility and authority, they will begin to use their own initiative and their imagination. This can lead to new ideas and solutions to problems that you may not have recognized, and like the senior retreat committee, your team will feel appreciated.

Benefits for Your TeamDelegating will provide the following six benefits for your team.

1. Efficiency

Delegating tasks to your team members ensures that all of the tasks are completed. Like the LL2 leader, you won’t be able to finish everything by yourself. If you as a team leader do tasks that could be accomplished by your team members, you waste both your time and theirs.

2. Flexibility

When you delegate tasks to your team, move the tasks around to different members. This will increase the skills of everyone and the flexibility of your team. This may prove important if one of your members falls ill and must be substituted with another.

3. Teamwork

Delegating new tasks to team members allows them to build contacts with others whom they do not normally work. This can lead to greater teamwork and communication networking.

4. Balanced Workloads

When you delegate effectively, you can make sure that everyone has an equal amount of work. The perceived fairness in spreading out the work will gain you respect from your team members.

5. Aid Communication

An important part in delegation is making sure that your teammates understand why they need to accomplish their tasks. Explaining this need gives you the chance to relate the tasks to the goals of your organization. This will help your teammates understand your team’s objectives.

6. Retain Good Team Members

Delegating tasks to team members keeps them interested and motivated, and can keep people from dropping out of your team. By demonstrating that your team uses everyone’s talents to the utmost, you will keep your team members happy.

We have now covered the benefits that delegation gives to you, your teammates and your team. The following Key Points page will focus your attention on the most important aspects covered in this section so far.

Why People Don’t DelegateIn delegation, disadvantages that may bar you from delegating are often perceptual. However, because they seem real, they may keep you from reaching your delegation goals. To overcome these barriers, you must first identify them.

In the next few sections, we will cover:

Seven barriers that you may face. Six barriers your teammates may provide. Two barriers your situation may pose.

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

Identify and address the barriers in your own way. Overcome your own barriers. Support your teammates who may try to avoid responsibility.

These disadvantages can be overcome, and some are actually advantages! Read on to learn about the common barriers to delegation.

Barriers from YouThe biggest barrier to effective delegation is often you. Like the committee chair of the LL2 described in the introduction, you must overcome your anxieties about giving others responsibilities in order to gain the benefits of successful delegation. The next 7 barriers are ones that you may find yourself posing.

1. Not Enough Time

One of the biggest barriers to delegation is the perception that you do not have enough time to either adequately explain the task or teach your team member the skills necessary for a delegated task. Even though it may take you less time to complete that task now, where does that put you

the next time the task must be completed? This feeling is paradoxical, because one of the main benefits of delegation is saving time.

2. Losing Control

People new to delegation often feel as though they are giving up their control. It is a little frightening to allow a team member to complete a task for which you are ultimately responsible. It was this reason that kept the LL2 team leader from delegating at first. Communicating with those to whom you've delegated frequently to check the progress of the task can help decrease this fear and give you some sense of control.

3. Not Getting Credit

Some leaders feel that if they do not complete the task, they will not get credit. You must learn to share credit with others. Remember, the better your team looks, the better you look.

4. Losing Tasks You Enjoy

You may occasionally have to delegate tasks that you enjoy doing. Remember, as a leader your job is to ‘think big,’ not to be bogged down in recurring tasks. Seeing others succeed because of your coaching will also be enjoyable.

5. You Can Do it Better

Like the LL2 leader, you may think that you are the only person who can complete the job successfully. Especially because you and your team are part of a prestigious scholarship program, that is probably not true. Your teammates are highly capable!

6. Delegate Out of a Job

Some people resist delegation because they believe they may delegate themselves out of their job. Great! Now you can move to a higher position, or volunteer to take on more challenging tasks. Delegation improves productivity, and this will be obvious to everyone.

7. No Confidence in Team Members

Some leaders resist delegation because they don’t have faith in their team members. If this is true of you, start by taking small risks. Early successes will encourage you to delegate more. Learn to see the potential in your team and make sure that you have adequately prepared your team members for the tasks you assign. The more prepared they are, the less worried you will be.

You are not the only one that may be wary of delegation. Your team members may also have some anxieties of their own. Next, we describe several barriers to delegation from the members of your team.

Barriers from Your Team MembersIf you understand why your team members have trouble accepting delegated tasks, you can help them realize the benefits in delegation for both of you. Once they begin to succeed, they will be more willing to take on additional responsibilities that you delegate. Here are 6 common barriers posed by team members.

1. Not Enough Time

Some of your team members may feel that they are already putting in extra time for your team’s project. This may be true, so make sure that you are fairly dividing tasks between yourself and all of your team members. If everyone feels overworked, you will have to explain that in order to get the job done, everyone needs to put forth the extra effort.

2. Not Enough Experience

Some people, especially freshmen or young students, may recognize that they do not have enough experience for the tasks that need to be completed. Do not be impatient with them for lacking experience if they have not had the opportunity to gain it. Begin by delegating simple tasks so that they will gain confidence with their success. As their skill level increases, you will be able to confidently delegate more difficult tasks to them.

3. Fear of Failure

Some of your team members may be afraid that they will fail to accomplish the tasks you delegate. Like the committee chair of the senior retreat, give your teammates adequate support and encouragement. Explain to them that you will be monitoring their progress and giving them feedback in order to correct any mistakes before they become serious problems.

4. Not their Responsibility

In order to have a successful team, everyone must be flexible and open to delegation. Emphasize the importance of the task and the benefits it will produce. Let them know that their strengths and skills are important to the completion of the task and the success of your team.

5. Fear of Being a Scapegoat

Some teammates may feel that you will try to pass the blame to them instead of accepting it yourself. Make sure that your words and actions say otherwise. Do not sacrifice your team

members to save yourself if something goes wrong. This will only bring you contempt and resentment as well as an unproductive team.

6. Reactions from Other Team Members

When delegating to a team member, they may hesitate because of concerns of jealousy or confrontation from other team members. If this is the case, make sure you back up your delegation with enough authority to get the job done. Also, make sure that you are delegating tasks among your teammates fairly.

Finally, your environment may pose some barriers to the successful completion of a delegated task. Next, we explain two of these barriers.

Barriers from the SituationCertain situations may cause barriers to delegation. These situations are most often lack of resources and an unclear hierarchy. If either of these two barriers are present in your situation, make sure you remain flexible and do not blame teammates for failures out of their control.

Resources

Money is usually a concern for most organizations. If this is a problem, try to work around it. Remember to be flexible. If there is not enough money to send your class on a retreat to Hawaii, be flexible with your destination. Not getting your first choice does not make the whole task a failure.

Hierarchy

In some organizations, it is difficult to understand the lines of authority and responsibility. Staff and faculty members may share responsibilities, and ultimate authority may lie with someone that is not always available. Be aware of the situation and communicate clearly so that you may work to overcome this obstacle.

Common Errors of Delegating:

Under-Delegation

Stems from the managers false assumptions’ that delegation may be interrupted as a lack of ability on his or her part to do the job completely or correctly.

Occurs when full authority is not transferred, responsibility is taken back, or there is failure to equip and direct the delegate

Over-Delegation

The employees may become over worked and tired which can decrease productivity.

Occurs when the delegator loses control over a situation by giving too much authority or responsibility to the delegate

Improper Delegation

Includes such as things delegating at the wrong time, to the wrong person or for the wrong reason.

Refrences

http://www.enrichingleadership.com/resources/michelles-articles/the-six-steps-to-delegation/

http://www.slideshare.net/PujaJha3/delegation-16210098