As we go through the holiday period which is the season of out of office replies I was thinking about the ways of delegation and the different approaches I have observed in business. Of course, vacation delegation is temporary and generally, however much you brief colleagues and hope they will resolve your trickier problems, generally they are still lined up awaiting your return - and now more urgent than ever!
I have observed two extreme approaches to the delegation and suspect best practice lies somewhere in the middle. When I was a child in Africa I recall a Dutchman’s approach to teaching us to swim was throw us in the pool and see how we got on - rescuing the victim if needed. This reflects the “throw it over the wall” method where the delegator simply tells their colleague (invariably much more junior) the bare bones of the matter and somehow expects them to find out the rest and resolve it. Typically, they then make themselves unavailable so no more communication is possible. This can work with senior colleagues who know how to work out the details and have the networks to build up the detailed facts. However, for a more junior person this sink or swim approach can be at best discouraging and at worst disastrous for the individual and the organisation concerned as the dlegated issue may not be resolved properly or at all.
At the other extreme is the “reluctant delegator” who really wants to do everything themselves and is only delegating because they are forced to - or they have just been on a management course advocating the sensible use of delegation. This person will briefly you very thoroughly, but then expects to be involved in everything and to be informed about every development however small. The delegate especially if more junior rapidly learns they cannot really do anything however small without their superior’s involvement. The net result is something of a roadblock because the delegator is still effectively running all of the work they have supposedly handed over to someone else - and despite working all hours is unable to keep all of these balls in the air. The subordinate is frustrated and denied an opportunity to learn. The organisation has serious problems that are stuck in a web of micro management.
Delegation is in my view very important and should be handled appropriately and with great care. See this Harvard Business School blog on How to Delegate Efficiently which defines delegation concisely as “the transfer of responsibility for specific tasks from one person to another”. It describes the challenges and contains some great tips including knowing what to delegate, defining the outcome, providing resource, training and authority, and establishing a clear communications channel.
Staying with Harvard also check out this Harvard Business Review article 8 Ways Leaders Delegate Successfully which says “A 2015 Gallup study of the entrepreneurial talents of 143 CEOs on the Inc. 500 list showed that companies run by executives who effectively delegate authority grow faster, generate more revenue, and create more jobs.”
I also like this American Express article How to Delegate in Business which explains the importance of delegation to avoid bottlenecks and advises preparing a delegation plan and strategy, choosing the right person, setting expectations and providing feedback, support and resources. It also sums up the rationale and benefits of effective delegation well “Learning how to delegate in business is an important skill to have. By understanding when and how to delegate tasks, you can free up your time to focus on more important matters. Additionally, by delegating tasks to others, you can help develop their skills and knowledge, which can benefit your business in the long run.”
The American industrialist Andrew Carnegie said “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all themself or get all the credit.”
While General George S Patton advises "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."
And Dwight D Eisenhower wisely commented, which for me sums up delegation “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because they want to do it.”
I have observed two extreme approaches to the delegation and suspect best practice lies somewhere in the middle. When I was a child in Africa I recall a Dutchman’s approach to teaching us to swim was throw us in the pool and see how we got on - rescuing the victim if needed. This reflects the “throw it over the wall” method where the delegator simply tells their colleague (invariably much more junior) the bare bones of the matter and somehow expects them to find out the rest and resolve it. Typically, they then make themselves unavailable so no more communication is possible. This can work with senior colleagues who know how to work out the details and have the networks to build up the detailed facts. However, for a more junior person this sink or swim approach can be at best discouraging and at worst disastrous for the individual and the organisation concerned as the dlegated issue may not be resolved properly or at all.
At the other extreme is the “reluctant delegator” who really wants to do everything themselves and is only delegating because they are forced to - or they have just been on a management course advocating the sensible use of delegation. This person will briefly you very thoroughly, but then expects to be involved in everything and to be informed about every development however small. The delegate especially if more junior rapidly learns they cannot really do anything however small without their superior’s involvement. The net result is something of a roadblock because the delegator is still effectively running all of the work they have supposedly handed over to someone else - and despite working all hours is unable to keep all of these balls in the air. The subordinate is frustrated and denied an opportunity to learn. The organisation has serious problems that are stuck in a web of micro management.
Delegation is in my view very important and should be handled appropriately and with great care. See this Harvard Business School blog on How to Delegate Efficiently which defines delegation concisely as “the transfer of responsibility for specific tasks from one person to another”. It describes the challenges and contains some great tips including knowing what to delegate, defining the outcome, providing resource, training and authority, and establishing a clear communications channel.
Staying with Harvard also check out this Harvard Business Review article 8 Ways Leaders Delegate Successfully which says “A 2015 Gallup study of the entrepreneurial talents of 143 CEOs on the Inc. 500 list showed that companies run by executives who effectively delegate authority grow faster, generate more revenue, and create more jobs.”
I also like this American Express article How to Delegate in Business which explains the importance of delegation to avoid bottlenecks and advises preparing a delegation plan and strategy, choosing the right person, setting expectations and providing feedback, support and resources. It also sums up the rationale and benefits of effective delegation well “Learning how to delegate in business is an important skill to have. By understanding when and how to delegate tasks, you can free up your time to focus on more important matters. Additionally, by delegating tasks to others, you can help develop their skills and knowledge, which can benefit your business in the long run.”
The American industrialist Andrew Carnegie said “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all themself or get all the credit.”
While General George S Patton advises "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."
And Dwight D Eisenhower wisely commented, which for me sums up delegation “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because they want to do it.”
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