2017-07-28
Contents
Delegation is the process of assigning tasks which must be done by a superior along with the necessary discretion to a subordinate.
Yes, this is a management action many managers reasonably believe to be the secret of success. People who know how to delegate reach the heights in business faster and their employees become more efficient. Managers who know how to use delegation, have every reason to be called good organizers: they do not ask for positions - they are being asked.
Delegation is the organization of work in which the leader distributes certain tasks among subordinates. You can call it differently: delegation is the process of assigning tasks which must be done by a superior along with the necessary discretion to a subordinate.
How to learn to delegate tasks willingly, without thinking that it is better to do it yourself than to redo it 10 times? After all, you cannot earn all of the money and you cannot finish all of the tasks.
There are 3 types of tasks that you almost always have to delegate to others:
The delegation consists of several parts: Delegation = Assignment + Authority + Trust.
Perhaps you have had thoughts like: “If you want to do the job well, do it yourself.” or “I am the only person who can really be trusted with doing this.” or “No one will work better than I do." or "I'm indispensable."
In general, however, these are classic misconceptions, which can be expressed in short definitions:
"Egomania" (no one can do this job better than I),
"Perversity" (it is easier to do the job myself than explain how to do it to others)
"Self-deception" (I have been working for so long and so well that I don't make mistakes),
"Fear of underestimation" (if someone will do the job better than me, I'll look bad),
"Simplicity" (I can do all the work myself, I don't need help),
"Character" (working with others is too hard for me).
Delegation is not just dumping urgent and unpleasant tasks on others or the rejection of obligations. Abandoning your obligations does not mean that you give away the responsibility too. Responsibility can be delegated but cannot be transferred, because the control is still yours.
To find out how to delegate let’s take the formula called 5W1H or the Kipling method. In one of his poems, "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men..." he outlined 6 simple questions: What, When, Why, Who, Where and How.
The 5W1H technique involves the extraction of new information by answering a number of probing questions. You need to answer all the questions prior to delegation. They are: What needs to be done? Why is this task important? Where should it be done? When this task has to be finished? Who is responsible for the result? How to do it?
Answering all these questions will allow you to maximize the success of delegating a particular task. The ability to put reasonable questions is a sign of intelligence and discernment.
To simplify, you have to answer three main questions before delegating:
Discuss the task with the employee and find out his or her attitude towards it. Let the employee tell how he or she sees the role of the performer of this task and the way of solving it. From my experience, I can say that the delegation of authority will be more effective if it is a partnership instead of a boss-subordinate relationship.
You should also remember that you need to give the employee as much authority as needed to finish the task. If you give them too much of it, they might abuse it, and if you give too little they might not achieve the goal.
Thus, delegation can be realized with a simple formula. Remember, the foundation of any successful business is proper delegation of authority. You can be a genius and a tireless workaholic, but if you do not assign tasks to subordinates, you can lose everything that you have been working so hard on. By delegating, you are buying time.