Management fundamentals
/ 01 October 2009
How to delegate
Too many busy managers dither when it comes to delegation because they feel the briefing and performance monitoring involved is the last thing they have time for, but this is a false economy. The working hours you’ll reclaim from delegating will far outweigh the initial briefing
Empowering subordinates to undertake new tasks also plays an important part in developing their potential and boosting their self-esteem and motivation.
Delegation is inherently risky for managers because the individual’s performance in the task will be seen as a reflection of you and your abilities. Lack of trust or faith and a fear of the individual failing or making mistakes can mean managers are reluctant to relinquish control but it’s essential to your own career success in the long term.
Properly done, it will help to mark you out as an accomplished and confident manager respected for what you and your team can achieve.
01 Understand why you’re delegating
Most managers have a tendency to delegate too little and too late. While there may be occasions, such as an emergency, when your delegation is more reactive, in general you should prepare thoroughly and set aside clear time for the briefing. Delegating in haste is unlikely to be a positive experience for either party. Clearly define the task, activity or project and its objective beforehand so you can consider who is best suited to carry out your requirements. ‘They represent you, so you have to be confident they have a similar attitude, plus complementary skills to your own,’ says Andrew Woolnough, director of benefits management at Jelf Employee Benefits. Ensure the person has the necessary motivation and is at the right level to complete the task well. Remember, if the team member doesn’t have all the core skills or competences required, they can be taught, but you need to establish if it’s feasible within the timeframe set. You may also need to keep more of a watchful eye on them at first.
02 Involve the delegate in the process
Assuming that the individual is happy to take on the task, always provide them with a written brief and talk them through it. Objectives should be prioritised and agreement reached on a deadline including any intermediate ones as well as the resources and level of authority required. Get them to tell you how they plan to carry the assignment out. Allowing the delegate free range to do it their own way means you won’t stifle their initiative and will also heighten their sense of ownership.
They also must be given freedom to make mistakes, as Woolnough points out: ‘The most important characteristic is the ability to let go, so you give people the opportunity to succeed. If someone makes a mistake, it gives you and the individual the opportunity to explore and see how to do better next time,’ he says. ‘If they make the same mistake twice, then the situation needs to be resolved – it’s vital that you trust the work they do. If you don’t resolve mistakes, you won’t trust them.’
03 Provide support, monitor progress
Put support mechanisms in place for the delegate in the form of people and places they can go to seek help and advice if needed. It’s a good idea to keep a delegation log so you can follow what’s been delegated. Also, schedule specific times for progress reports as this takes away any scope for the individual to hide from you if they’re experiencing problems or the project is not going to plan. Some gentle-handed control or even extra resources could be enough to get things back on track.
Make it clear you are ready to provide encouragement and support but avoid wilfully interfering as this can have a seriously demotivating effect. ‘Interfering undermines people in the space of a couple of seconds, which ruins any foundation created,’ says Woolnough. ‘The consequence of undermining is fatal in terms of individual morale.’
04 Review and reward performance
Once the task is over it is essential to conduct a review of their performance. Be generous with your praise if it was completed successfully and avoid being sucked into apportioning blame if things go wrong. As their manager, you need to accept ultimate responsibility. If the outcome was not up to standard use it as a learning opportunity and be constructive with your feedback – identify what went well and where the individual can improve next time. Consider also whether there’s anything you can take from the process to help develop your own delegating skills.
The way I see it
Andrew Woolnough, Jelf Employee Benefits
Q. What are the most challenging aspects of delegation?
I took over someone else’s role, a big challenge in itself, so I arranged one-to-ones with every team member to understand their drivers, possible un-met expectations and ambitions. But I also wanted to set the ground rules of what I’d be expecting as a manager. We’re all incredibly busy and one of my key messages was that I’d empower them to make decisions that they feel are right. ‘Just do it’ is a mantra. If something in the situation backfires, I ultimately take the rap. The plus side is that with ground rules and trust in place, the system works very well for the team and business.
Q. Is there any way of accurately determining that you are not just offloading undesirable tasks or dumping work when delegating?
I determine this through feedback with each team member. We hold monthly one-to-ones and have rolling monthly and annual key performance indicators (KPIs). It’s important to give each person responsibility to attain their KPIs effectively.
By monitoring and managing a team this way, I can keep an eye on behaviour and results. At the end of the day, with an open culture, there is always give and take. People don’t mind the undesirable tasks so much if they see we all roll our sleeves up to get the job done.
Q. Have you had to reverse delegate (where you take a task back from someone) and how did you handle it?
You shouldn’t reverse delegate. When you work with someone on a daily basis, you know what to expect and what they’re capable of. You wouldn’t set someone up to fail – you delegate to people who you know can handle the task. If they start to struggle, they might need guidance and extra help. In an open culture, people wouldn’t be fearful of asking for help.