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Since the beginning of time and into present times great leaders and decision makers have mastered the art of delegation. Over history we have seen the end product of what a great leader with delegation skills can accomplish using their most valuable resource, people. In biblical scripture examples of delegation can be seen in the choosing of”disciples” by Jesus himself in order to accomplish various tasks and missions.
All great prominent generals from the times of Julies Creaser to today’s modern generals such as David Petrels, example effective delegation and its role in making them effective leaders. In my military time witnessed firsthand the effective implementation of delegation and its successful outcomes. I have unfortunately also witnessed the failure and degradation of a unit’s effectiveness with poor delegation and it subsequent negative consequences. Knowing effective delegation is a timeless tool that any aspiring leader should hone and keep handy in there “back pocket” of managerial skills.
Clarify the assignment. Step one of any effective delegation or any task is to have a clear and concise understanding of the objective or mission. You can’t expect to tell people to go from point A to point Z if they don’t fully understand the scope and limitations of the task. Imagine also being told to bake a cake then being reprimanded because it’s not a double stacked, low sugar, chocolate frosted cake. A manager can’t delegate a basic block of instructions and expect a finished detailed task. How many of us have been on the receiving end of bad instruction and vague guidance.
No doubt that feeling of confusion and vagueness transferred to the work ethic and outcome of that mission. A leader in order to have a successful outcome must master the fine art of effective communication and ensure that his desired end results are understood by all. Range of discretion Establishing an employee’s range of discretion ties in nicely with clear and concise communication when delegating. It important to set parameters and constraints at the very beginning rather than later. Addressing limitation and constraints after the fact can become very costly and time consuming very fast and can lead to the eventual failure of the task.
A good example would be o delegate the building of ten homes for a project, if parameters/limitations are not initially established who’s to say what my interpretations often homes is? I could easily build ten “luxury’ homes in excess of 5,000 square feet when all the project called for was ten “tract style” homes. A miscommunication or lack range of discretion could spell disaster for any company very quickly. Inform others that delegation has occurred. One of the most important skills needed to be a successful manager is to inform others that delegation has occurred.
Not only does the manager and the employee need to have an evident idea of what has been delegated to them and how much authorization has been given to them, but anyone else who is going to be affected by the actions also need to know the plan. This should also include the individuals that are outside the company that will possibly be affected. Lack of communication is the biggest reason for failure and by having proper communication the employee will have a clear understanding on the task at hand which decreases the chances of a failed situation. Reference: http://www. Menageries. Com/article. Patch? Id=625 Establish feedback channels In order to see the procedure manual completed, proper feedback channels needs are established. In our first meeting, Bill was told to complete the manual by the seventh before the last day of the month. An early due date will allow time to review the entire manual and make final revisions if necessary. A weekly progress report meeting will be discussed to agree upon a meeting time and place. During this session, Bill will identify any problems, comments, or concerns that may have arisen.
At the conclusion of the meeting Bill and I will create an action plan for next week. Bill will leave the first meeting with an understanding of my expectations and the parameters for completion of the project. Bill will also have an understanding that I will periodically check to ensure guidelines and procedures are being followed (Robbins & Coulter, 2012). Conclusion All leader and managers think that they have to be “Superman”, that the weight of the world/company rests on their shoulders and it simply isn’t so.
A manager will more than likely end themselves into an early grave if they don’t utilize and understand effective delegation in the workplace. As we have presented effective delegation doesn’t just “Happen”, it takes skill in planning and identifying various factors such as clear communication and effective feedback channels. All these steps help ensure that the process of delegation runs smooth and without issues, but also that the means of communication are effective and that we receive feedback for future projects so that we can be constantly changing and implementing effective changes.