Delegation

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Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities.

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However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organisational level to a lower one.

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Delegation, if properly done, is not abdication.

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Why don�t we delegate?

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�There�s no-one else can do the job but me.�

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�The only other person who could do it is not here.�

(or �too busy� � or �doing something else�.)

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�It won�t be done to the same standard.�

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�It�s easier to do the job yourself.�

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�I�d have to inspect it afterwards so I might as well do it in the first place�

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�It needs doing immediately � and delegating takes too much time.�

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One of the biggest �time-wasters� is inability to delegate effectively.

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A manager�s role is to manage � not necessarily to do.

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You are responsible for ensuring that tasks are carried out � but that does not mean you have to do them yourself.

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It is your role to allocate each task to the most appropriate person.

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You may also consider using tasks as �development opportunities� for less experienced staff.� (You might then take on the role of �coach� � or delegate that responsibility.)

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Why we should delegate.

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It frees up time for you to do other things.

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It allows time for you to undertake longer-term planning.

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It provides development opportunities for team members.

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Increased responsibility increases team motivation.

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It helps create a sense of team responsibility.

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9 steps to successful delegation