Successful Managing Through Delegation

Managers should avoid the tendency to constantly delegate to the same one or two capable individuals. This practice only overloads the best personnel while slighting all others.

As with delegation in general, there may be occasions in which work must be divided among several individuals for example, highly technical or complex tasks. Should this be the case, the rule is always - delegate the maximum amount of work to the lowest possible level.

Whenever possible, managers should delegate a whole task to one person rather than divide it among several individuals. Delegating a whole task increases an employee's initiative, encourages greater attention to detail, and gives a manager greater control over results. Furthermore, it minimizes confusion, and eliminates unnecessary and inefficient coordination of efforts among two or more subordinates. All of these factors lead to more successful results.

Delegating the whole, however, does not mean dumping an assignment on an employee without specific preparation, training, and coaching. This is especially true for those new to the job or those who have not previously been assigned responsibility or authority. Goals and deadlines must also be clearly spelled out. Delegation should be a gradual process, allowing staffers to assume responsibility and authority at a comfortable pace. Creating an amicable environment can go a long way towards motivating subordinates to perform to the best of their abilities.

After a manager has delegated a task to a subordinate, he or she must not take it back, make changes in the assignment, or redelegate it. This causes great frustration on the part of a subordinate. In fact, the employee may lose motivation and interest in the project, doubting whether he or she will ever be given the opportunity to complete it. When work is repeatedly taken back, the responsibility and authority are reassumed by the manager and delegation has failed.

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.