The Art of Delegation

 

The Art of Delegation

As a leader, we sometimes find that our days are long and hectic and that we often risk being derailed by unexpected developments that demand our attention. And in these kinds of scenarios, delegation is the best time-saving method in the long run. The ability to delegate is an essential skill for leaders that enhances their leadership skills and develops teamwork that lets individuals with different set of talents, roles & responsibilities to come together. If executed properly, delegation empowers the team to work collaboratively and create trust but if done poorly, creates distrust among the people. So, nearly all leaders agree that delegation is useful for them.

The question that tickles in a layman’s mind is that if delegation is useful, why don’t some leaders practice it? One reason for lack of delegation is the leaders hesitancy to give up control while being held accountable for the outcome. The leader may fear that the staff member lacks the knowledge and experience to complete a delegated task and consequently, it will not be done well. Or a leader may feel that doing a job differently means it is not done well.

And some leaders even hesitate to delegate because it threatens their power structure. Insecure leaders may believe that they will be perceived as less important or less capable than their subordinates who may prove more capable than them. Many leaders also do not realize what should be delegated and what not. And the unfamiliarity with the task in hand may leave the leader in a position where he will be too cautious about the delegation of that particular task. However, apart the restriction or things that refrain leaders from delegation, it is equally important for them to understand the importance and the need of delegation to produce more effective results.

 

·        Effective delegation benefits the leader, the staff and the organization. Effective delegation demands feedback from the employee, and when there is more feedback, it will strengthen the decision-making ability of the leader. A key benefit of delegation is that the quantity & quality of work is improved even In the absence of leader.

·        Delegation can act as a powerful motivator for team members. It can develop their decision making abilities which will contribute to more creative problem solving in the organization. It also results in improved self-esteem & morale of the staff and the team members have a more positive attitude and commitment to the organization.

·        Delegation decreases the gap between the administration and staff members. Because delegation brings down the important decision closer to the frontline and the team members participate in it more and more which helps in creating a healthier work environment & positive image of the organization.

 

How to Delegate Effectively?

 

1.     Set Objectives: To be effective in an organization, a leader needs to now their particular objectives- so that they know where they are heading. An effective objective is SMART. It stands for:

 

·        Specific— stating exactly what needs to be achieved.

·        Measurable— so that you can tell when the task has been done properly.

·        Achievable—the objective has to be realistic within a certain time frame with the availability of the required resources.

·        Relevant—which must be fitting in line with those who has the role to achieve the objective and also to the wider objectives of the organization.

·        Time-bound—it is important to give some guidance about deadlines and time frames to achieve the objectives.

 

2.     Monitoring the delegated task: By monitoring the delegated task, you will be able to see the potential problems at an early stage and you can guide your team members to make the necessary changes. It’s important also not to over-delegate the task on team members . Bear in mind how the team members are likely to respond to it if you show some confidence in their abilities and keep intervening in the job.

You can have informal discussion with the staff to get much better insights in the delegated task. If you uncover a potential problem while monitoring the delegated task, be tactful in pointing it out to the team member. Bear in mind that you do not have to criticize them in case they make some mistakes, your motive is to support them and help them become better.

3.     Review the delegated task: Although you may review progress when the task is underway, it is also important to review it when its completed. It is an important time after the completion of task to consider its success with your team members so as to learn from the experience and to plan improvements for the future.

When reviewing a delegated task, it is best to let your team members get the praise for work successfully done, but to accept the blame yourself when things have gone wrong. As Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam once said, “ When failure comes, a great leader absorbs the failure, but when success comes, he gives it to his team members.”

CONCLUSION

Delegation is both an art and a science. The basic principles behind delegation as mentioned in the above discussion are as follows:

·        Set Objectives; Define your objectives in accordance with the SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound goals or objectives which a leader needs to decide while delegating a task to the staff or team members.

·        Monitor the delegated task: Check the progress of the team by regular visitation or informal conversation.

·        Review the delegated task: Check for areas of improvement and potential threats.