What We Have Here is a Failure to Delegate

Many Skills Are Important in Management

RECRUITING

PLANNING

COMMUNICATING

ORGANIZING

MOTIVATING

TRAINING

Manager - a person responsible for controlling or administering all or part of a company or similar organization.

Control - to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command.

Command -

to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order

to require authoritatively; demand

to have or exercise authority or control over; be master of; have at one's bidding or disposal

Delegate - to commit (responsibilities, powers, functions, etc.) to another as agent or deputy (to direct with specific authority )

A manager is a person who tells other people what to do (delegates)

But the Defining Skill of a Manager is Delegating

The Delegation Process Is Very Well Documented

IF NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD!

Simplified Delegation Process

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

Monitor Progress

Make Corrections

FinishedFractal Process

Managers may not receive proper Authorization with assignments

This is addressed later in this presentation, but…

There are three types of delegation – down, up and across. It may be possible to up delegate the proper assignment of authority.

In partially functional organizations, the manager can safely assume responsibility based on tasking – easier to get forgiveness

Failure to Receive Authorization

Receive Authorization

This is the most obvious delegation failure – never actually tasking

Arises from a deep fear on the manager’s part of losing control

“Nobody’s competent” which means nobody will do it like me

Often the best worker is a perfectionist, who when promoted finds it is hard to accept less than “optimal” solutions.

This manager needs to realize that doing 20 things well enough is usually better than doing one thing perfectly

Understanding of remainder of the delegation process lessens fear of losing control

• One delegates authority not responsibility

• The manager stays involved in tasks assigned

Failure to Make Assignments

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

When the manager makes an assignment, empowerment and authority must accompany it

Else the staff suffers the authority problem already discussed

The manager must make sure the team has the things it needs to succeed; authority to execute is paramount

Remember though one delegates authority not responsibility

Improperly tasking

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

This is cousin to the perfectionists failure to task

The manager keeps the task until totally overwhelmed with work or the time available for the work is almost gone then drops it on the first available “delegee”

Proper planning is not done

The assignment is accompanied with something like “You handle this, I’m swamped”

The manager never looks at the task again – perhaps to avoid blame when it fails

Abdication Not Delegation

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

This is different from abdication in that the whole process is not abandoned

This is where the manager stays engaged by making corrections, but does not know what is happening or the effects of the corrections

The manager neglects such excellent processes as walking around, talking to people, and keeping current in the technical area

This leads to a loss of confidence in the manager by the staff – effectively negating future delegation opportunities

Without proper monitoring of progress, the manager will find it difficult to properly inform the upper management gave the tasking

Failure to Monitor Progress

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

Monitor Progress

Make Corrections

Now the team is running open loop

The manager knows what is going on but will not take the appropriate actions

This leads to a loss of respect for the manager by the staff and upper management

Not all decisions are easy; not all corrections will be appreciated; sometimes for the good of the task or team, the manager must remove unproductive staff for example

Course corrections are easier when take early; proper monitoring and early intervention can avoid many problems

Failure to Make Corrections

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

Monitor Progress

Make Corrections

Contrasted with no corrections is the over correction - micromanagement

This arises when the manager just can leave the staff alone long enough for it to work

The manager is overly interested in how the work is being done – not just what and when

This overly controlled situation is guaranteed to be sub-optimal as the imaginations of those closes to the work are suppressed

Morale and therefore productivity will suffer

The manager must learn to “count to ten’ before re-tasking; at least the manager should “sleep on” important re-directions

Micromanagement

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

Monitor Progress

Make Corrections

Delegation is the definitive trait of a manager

Delegation is a continuous process

Correct delegation leads to successful conclusions

Conclusion

Receive Authorization

Make Assignments

Monitor Progress

Make Corrections

Finished

http://www.prnewsonline.com/prnewsblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/cool-hand-luke-martin.jpg http://piperbayard.wordpress.com/category/the-end-is-near/ http://mbtimetraveler.com/2013/10/02/random-humor-18/motivating-pics-21/ http://www.ostglobalsolutions.com/blog/successful-planning-for-your-bd-strategy-interview-with-busines

s-development-expert/ http://susanscott.org/ http://organizing.ws/creative-organizing-tips-id-337 http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/07/news/companies/alabama-coach-saban.fortun http://www.businessinsider.com/first-time-manager-tips-2014-1 http://www.boxonline.com/wp/suggestions/do-you-benefit-from-delegation-1227

Acknowledgements