Delegation

Delegation is defined as giving others the authority to act on your behalf accompanied with the responsibility and the accountability for results. When done well both the delegator, usually a supervisor, and the delegated usually an employee have much to gain. Employees are given an opportunity to develop and master skills while supervisors are better able to balance the workload, increasing the work unit’s productivity. That makes delegation a powerful tool.

New supervisors often hesitate to delegate tasks because they are not sure what is appropriate. There are tasks which cannot be delegated but many can. Examples of tasks that should not be delegated:

• Duties that are specifically yours as a supervisor

• Matters with grave consequences

• Crisis/Emergencies

• Exception to policy

Examples of tasks that can be delegated:

• Routine skills

• Decisions made frequently

• Tasks for which you have little skill or one you dislike

• Tasks that will provide valuable experience for your staff members

• Assignments that add variety to the work

Delegation is more than a handoff, it is a planned conversation. Unfortunately, some supervisors treat it as a “drive by” assignment. A drive by goes something like this - the supervisor stops by an employee’s workstation and says “Can you complete this report by Friday? Here’s the file with the information. See me if you have questions.” The drive by can work if given to a top performing employee, but often a drive by assignment is completed with mistakes accompanied by hard feelings because miscommunication.                                                  

The benefits of planning a delegation conversation far outweigh the amount of time it takes to plan for the handoff. Questions to ask yourself when considering delegating a task or project:

Why do I want or need to delegate?

• My workload is heavy

• Employees need or want development opportunities.

What are the skills needed to do the task or project?

• Before choosing a person think about what skills are needed.

Which employee would be the appropriate person to do this task or project?

• Does the work belong to a particular position?

• Who has the interest and the ability?

• Who would you like to prepare for promotion?

After answering these questions, you are ready to plan the delegation conversation. Below are topics to include in your conversation.

• Briefly describe the task and expected results.

• Identify performance standards. Procedures, quality of service, quantity and timeframes are examples of possible standards.

• Budget limitations if any.

• Identify the people and departments they will need to interact with to do the task.

• Frequency of feedback. Define how often they need to update you on their progress or the results.

• When and how the employee will be trained.

• Why did you choose this employee for the task?

• Why the task is important to the organization.

• Why it is important to do the task correctly.

• Express your confidence in their ability.

• Ask the employee if they have any questions.

 Set up a meeting with the employee rather than stopping by with your delegation request. A meeting conveys this is an important assignment. Take your time with the conversation. Some employees will be reluctant, they need a bit of reassurance. Some will be thrilled with a new assignment.

Learning how to effectively delegate tasks and projects will have an immediate and positive impact on the employee and the supervisor and for that reason, delegation should be mastered early in one’s career as a supervisor.

Don't do a drive by!