Choosing to Delegate

September 15, 2005

Have you ever given an employee an assignment that you believed was clear and simple, only to find out later that the employee either failed to follow through, didn't follow your instructions, or did a poor job on it?

If so, you probably felt disappointed and frustrated.

In fact, that's why many managers are often reluctant to delegate important tasks at all, preferring instead to do the work themselves.

Do any of these statements sound familiar to you?

"My employees aren't capable of handling..."
"She might not do it the same way I would."
"I don't have time to explain to someone else how to do this."
"I wish I didn't have to rely on others so much."
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

Perhaps you've even made one or more of these statements yourself on occasion.

It shouldn't have to be this way. You should be able to depend on your people to carry their fair share of the workload.

The good news is, that it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, many of these frustrating situations are entirely preventable.

How? By practicing a few simple techniques for delegating effectively. These techniques are designed to help you:

• Assess which tasks to delegate and which ones to perform yourself;
• Select the right person for a particular task; and
• Avoid unforeseen problems.

Tasks You Should Delegate to Others

First, think about your job responsibilities. Which tasks should you delegate to others and which ones should you keep for yourself?

As a general rule, managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the work. All other tasks should be pushed down to the lowest level, including:

• Routine tasks;
• Clerical tasks; and
• Responsibility for solving minor problems.

Managers should not be performing these tasks unless no one else is available, and even then only on a temporary basis.

Tasks You Should Perform Yourself

Avoid delegating to others the following tasks:

• Responsibility for solving complex organizational problems,(although you may wish to form a team of people to advise you);
• Tasks that involve sensitive or confidential human resource matters;
• Hiring key personnel;
• Providing feedback to people reporting directly to you regarding their job performance;
• Budgetary controls; and
• Crisis management.

These are a manager's responsibility and should not be delegated to someone else unless there is good reason to do so.

Also, don't delegate tasks that your boss expects you to complete yourself, without checking first.

Selecting the Right Person for the Assignment

If you have a choice over who should be given a particular assignment, look first at who's available. Avoid delegating more assignments to people who are already drowning in work. Spread assignments around so everyone gets a chance.

Next, consider the personal strengths of each individual and try to get the best match for the assignment. For example, don't assign a person with poor people skills to undertake a sensitive negotiation.

Finally, use your powers of delegation as an employee development tool. Carefully plan meaningful and challenging assignments for each of your people in a way that helps them develop their skills.

In the Next Issue

In this issue of eTips I talked about which tasks you should keep to yourself and which tasks you should delegate to others. In the next issue, I'll offer you some tips on HOW to make sure things go smoothly once you've made an assignment.

I'll also address the question: when should you take back a failed assignment?

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Stephen Foster, Ph.D
Expert Supervisor, LLC
1493 Market Street
Tallahassee, FL 32312
(850) 893-5699

E-mail me at: Steve.Foster@ExpertSupervisor.com