The Challenge of Delegation
When delegating a task or assignment to a direct report, what do you believe is the most challenging part of the process? Why?
The most challenging part of the delegation process for me is not to be so specific on how I would accomplish the task. I have to pull back and concentrate on detailing what needs to be accomplished and give them the space to accomplish it and provide support if needed.
Dennis,
Congratulations on your insight! Delegation, like coaching should establish parameters and allow an individual to identify a strategy to achieve the goal. By outlining your expectations, providing support and encouragement, you are building the individual's confidence in order to accomplish the task at hand. It's difficult for someone who has been used to "doing the work" not to get into the details, but it's necessary to provide your people with growth opportunities. As you said, "...give them space to accomplish it..."
Dr. Robert Roehrich
when delegating a task to a subordinate it is criticl that the desired outcome is fully understood by the person that you are delegating to so that they are clear on what results need to be obtained and what time frame
Alonzo,
I agree that ensuring the outcomes and timeframes are clear to the individual or individuals who are receiving the delegation. However, I don't believe those are the most difficult part of delegation. The difficulty comes from ensuring that the clearly understand the scope, urgency and impact of the task/project and that they see where or how it fits into the broader scope of team, department, division, company, etc. It's also important for the delegatee to articulate back to the delegator that they understand about the assignment. It's also up to the delegator to be clear about the level of authority, responsibility and accountability that comes with the delegation to ensure a positive outcome.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
Being detailed enough so that the direct report knows exactly what needs to be done. In the past I have not thought through exactly what I needed to say. I have since learned to write out what I want to discuss.
Shelly,
Writing out your expectations in advance of delegating work to an employee is a great way to ensure clear communication and accomplishes two additional things. As you stated, it provides you with an opportunity to reflect and write out your specific requirements, which the employee then hears exactly what you expect. Second, if you provide them with an outline of the expectations, it can be used as a checklist to assess the performance. This approach eases the task of delegation and establishes an objective means of evaluation.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
I always thought that delegating as a Leader, would be appropriate to only tasks, but I would still solely be responsible for those tasks. For me that is very challenging, to let go of the ultimate responsibility as I view a leader to be accountably even for others lack of responsibility.
The balance between choosing the right person you trust to be responsible to do the task delegated may not be willing to take on the delegated task is also very hard. Hence they are able but not always willing.
Christine,
One of the toughest challenges of any new leader's responsibility is delegation, so you are not alone in feeling the "stress" of balancing task completion and delegation of authority. The key to effective delegation is to stop thinking about it as "removing tasks from your to do list" and thinking about it as a developmental tool. It is a leaders responsibility to develop her people by providing them with challenging work and opportunities. Once you embrace this, delegation becomes a shared responsibility between the leader and the employee. Yes, the person to whom you delegate a task has to accept full responsibility for the task; however, you as the leader maintain the "ultimate accountability" for it. With the proper guidance and level of oversight, delegation can reduce your stress and help your team develop.
Perhaps a helpful exercise would be to create a "T" chart with the things you see as negatives about delegation on the left side and all of the positives (for you and your employees) on the right side. This will provide you with a more complete picture of how you can approach delegation in order to reduce your stress and enhance the development opportunities for your team members.
Best wishes for your leadership success.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
