Management by Delegation
Do these scenarios sound familiar?
You’re walking to your office and an employee stops you to give you a rundown of what’s happening: “I made a phone call to Bill, he says that we can’t get the project done until July 7, so I’m going to work on the Smith account, and after lunch turn my attention to the Lion account. The newsletter project will be finished on June 17, and, by the way, the copy machine is broken. Should I call a repairman?”
As you get to your office, another employee stops you to give a rundown of his situation. This last another three minutes.
Frustrating? You bet. And you wonder, why can’t these employees take more responsibility and not drop every detail of every project in your lap?
Maybe it’s not them, but you. Maybe you’re not delegating effectively. Here are some key points to remember.
- Stress results, not details. Make it clear to your employees that you’re more concerned about the final outcome of all projects, rather than the day-to-day details that accompany them.
- Don’t be sucked in by giving solutions to employee’s problems. When employees come to you with problems, they’re probably looking for you to solve them. Don’t. Teach them how to solve problems themselves. This, too, can be frustrating because it takes time. But in the long run, you’ll save yourself time and money.
- Turn the question around. If an employee comes to you with a problem, ask him or her for possible solutions. If an employee comes to you with a question, ask for possible answers.
- Establish measurable and concrete objectives. With all employees, make your objectives clear and specific. Once this is done, employees will feel more comfortable acting on their own. Think of this plan as a road map – and your employees will too.
- Develop reporting systems. Get your feedback from reporting systems: monthly reports, statistical data, or samplings. Or consider weekly meetings with employees.
- Give strict and realistic deadlines. If you don’t give clear deadlines, employees won’t feel accountable for the completion of their tasks.
- Keep a delegation log. When you delegate an assignment, jot it down. You’ll be able to monitor the progress, and discipline employees when necessary.
- Recognize the talents and personalities of your employees. Being a good delegator is like being a good coach of a baseball team. You have to know what projects each employee can handle, and what projects they can’t.
Used with permission from Methodist Leadership
