Effective delegation from Brian Tracy, author of Delegation and Management

What is delegation in management

The essence of delegation is not to carry out the instructions of the boss, but to assign tasks to subordinates, and these are completely different things! And the most common mistake in the post-Soviet space is to put the best performer in a leadership position!

Delegation is the act of transferring power, authority, work or responsibilities to another person. The delegation process occurs from top to bottom, that is, from manager to subordinate.

Example of delegation of power or authority:

The President appoints his authorized representative in a certain region. And he is already bullying local officials on behalf of the president.

Example of task delegation:

The foreman appoints two workers to paint the fence, gives them a deadline, and gives them technical specifications. How many layers of paint, and what color should it be? What punishment will follow if the task is not completed efficiently?

And so such delegation is understandable. Why is it needed at all?

Three “golden” rules of delegation

Rule #1. Set the task clearly

Office joke: “An assignment that can be misunderstood is always misunderstood.” Hence the conclusion: clearly formulate the technical specifications and clarify all the details of the task.

What must be in the technical specification:

Criteria for evaluating results (qualitative and quantitative)
Execution deadlines
Reporting format
Breakdown of stages and dates of intermediate control

Make sure that the employee correctly understands the task assigned to him!

Rule #2. Give subordinates the opportunity to learn from their own mistakes

In simple words, relieve employees from overprotection. By the way, young parents often make the same mistake. They resolve all children's problems "proactively", preventing children from making their own mistakes and gaining experience.

Successful delegation is when employees are allowed to make mistakes and correct them themselves. Emphasis on the word “on your own.” It is worth intervening directly only in critical situations.

Purposes of delegation

Competition in business requires effective management. And if all power is concentrated in one hand, and there is no clear distribution of responsibilities between employees, then the manager prophesies that he will get bogged down in petty problems and tasks.

He will not develop and move forward. Stress and dissatisfaction with work are guaranteed, resulting in decreased efficiency. To avoid this, you need to shift some of the work and authority to others. The manager must in any case delegate routine and repetitive work.

Thus, the purpose of delegation is to free up the manager’s time for more important matters. But not all work needs to be delegated.

Stages of delegation

The amount of work that a manager must do in most cases exceeds the number of hours he works. Transferring cases frees up the owner's time for more interesting tasks. Many business owners, especially those who started with a small enterprise, are sure that they must understand all the subtleties and nuances and are very worried that someone will do worse. But a manager cannot be an expert in everything. It makes more sense to assign the task to an employee who has the required qualifications than to waste time acquiring new skills. And the owner can spend the freed time on strategic management, which will allow the business to move forward. Taking into account the principles of delegation, the following stages can be distinguished:

1. Select tasks that can be delegated.

Most often, these are tasks that are not interesting to the owner - too simple, routine, or those that require additional training. When choosing tasks, you should also focus on the performer: try to give the subordinate tasks that are more complex than those that he has successfully completed previously. This will allow you to train staff on the job and grow a strong team.

2. Determine the performer.

If a manager interacts closely with the team, most likely he has an understanding of who will cope better with the task. The easiest way is to focus on the employee’s productivity, speed of work, workload and competence. The employee must have time to complete the task; additional assignments should not lead to overtime. You cannot delegate chaotically - transferring a task to a person outside his area of activity, simply because he happens to be nearby. Also, don’t assign the same job to two people in the hope that at least one of them will do a good job. This will lead to conflicts and a deterioration in the psychological climate. When a task is delegated to a group, the manager must clearly delineate roles so that all team members receive work that is appropriate to their skill level. Experienced employees can take on the complex part of the project, while ordinary employees can take on the simpler and more routine ones. When working as a team, more meetings will be required to monitor execution.

3. Provide instructions.

The main thing to consider when drawing up instructions is literacy, completeness and unambiguous interpretation. It will not be superfluous to make sure that the subordinate correctly understands what is required of him. If an employee works remotely, it is better to clarify the details by call or video conference; in some tasks, written instructions may not be enough.

4. Set a specific deadline for completion.

The deadline must be realistic. The “should have been done yesterday” deadline, so beloved by Russian managers, only demotivates employees. If the task is large, checkpoints should be designated to track progress. The plan must also take into account the risks; the performer may make a mistake or get sick. Delay in completing a task should not lead to fatal consequences.

5. Give the subordinate freedom of execution.

The most difficult and most important stage. The performer must understand that he can take initiative within the framework of the task, show his competence and independence - this inspires the employee. And the leader must realize that the task is now in the wrong hands, and provide freedom to complete it.

6. Inform colleagues involved in the process.

You can inform your colleagues using corporate mail. Timely notification of the empowerment of an employee will save time during negotiations and provide additional external motivation for the performer.

7. Provide an opportunity for feedback.

An employee cannot be denied advice or assistance on a delegated task.

8. Protect yourself from the return of the order.

If the employee considers that he does not like the task (or seems too difficult) and wants to return it, then the manager should “protect” himself. The effect of returning the task to the director is called “transplanting the monkey.” To prevent the cute monkey from ending up on the boss’s shoulders, you should ask the employee to answer the following questions in writing:

What suggestions do you have to solve this problem?
What resources are needed to solve it?
Why are you asking for your problem to be solved and not for resources to be provided?

The analysis will help the employee figure out the problem on his own or allow the manager to understand the level of professionalism of the employee.

9. Monitor implementation.

The manager must monitor the process of completing the assignment and control the final result.

Chermen Dzotov , rector of the Personal Brand Academy, founder of the agency for promoting experts in the media “Let's Find an Expert”, president of the Biztus entrepreneurs club:

“To be honest, I didn’t immediately start delegating my work. At first, I tried to carry out all the tasks myself: searching for information, drawing up documents, sending acts and much more - everything was on me. At one point I realized that these simple but routine things take up a lot of my time and energy. I realized that I could spend this time negotiating with a client or solving more interesting issues than drawing up a service agreement. Then I decided to hire my first employees and delegate some of the tasks to them. I started with small and not particularly important assignments and gradually moved on to more responsible ones. I saw that the staff were doing a great job and I was finally able to relax. This hire allowed me to free up time, grow my team, and give jobs to many more people. Of course, there were employees who couldn’t cope, disappeared, or failed to complete tasks on time. But this cannot be called a problem, since almost always they realized this and left on their own. And they were replaced by truly worthy personnel who adorn my company to this day. Now my team includes a deputy, personal assistant, sales managers and business assistants. I delegate various tasks to them, which they perform with flying colors. I spend the time saved on delegation on business optimization. Training an employee to perform new tasks is not easy and takes time. But the benefit that the employee will bring exceeds the cost of training him. Share your experience and grow the best people in your team!”

What needs to be delegated?

Routine work that does not require special skills. For example, sending mail, calling for clarification, etc.
The specific work for which the employee is responsible, if it is specified in the job description. Do not take on the functions of an accountant or sales manager, even if you have done an excellent job with them before. Your employee can and should do all of this on their own.
Preparatory work. Always try to give tasks and teach them to work. If there is an important meeting or meeting coming up, instruct them to collect information, invite, and negotiate. Everything that subordinates can do must be delegated in any case.

What tasks can and should be delegated?

Collection of information

It is better to entrust information about competitors, loan terms or sales statistics for several months to subordinates. Your task: analyze the data and draw conclusions.

routine

20% of the results provide 80% of the work. And it is advisable to delegate these 80% of routine operations to someone else. All you need to do is formulate a clear technical specification and monitor the fulfillment of these responsibilities.

Additionally, repetitive tasks can and should be delegated. For example, answering current calls, sorting mail, sending reminder letters.

Role of Deputy or Representative

Personal meetings with clients, meetings or conferences take up a lot of time. And sometimes someone else can take part in such events instead of you.

What cannot be delegated?

Subordinates cannot be delegated to set strategic goals for the long term;

How to properly motivate employees;

Control over the results of the team’s work;
Issues where an urgent solution is required, with a high degree of risk and financial liability;
Confidential tasks;
Encouragement of employees.

Why is delegation of authority and responsibility necessary?

For example, the director who appointed me to the position came with me to the base when everyone was in place and said that I was their new boss. Thus, it was easier for me to give orders to my subordinates, and they obeyed me.

Why delegation of powers and responsibilities is carried out:

The main reason why you should delegate some of your responsibilities to others is to free up your time for more important issues. A manager who writes letters and compiles price lists himself is only regrettable. When should he develop his business?
By delegating authority and responsibility to subordinates, you increase their qualifications and their confidence in their abilities. In this simple way, you can “grow” an excellent assistant who will understand you perfectly.
Delegation of powers ensures company growth, business scalability, and opening new branches.
Delegation of authority and responsibility will ensure the career growth of individual employees, which will certainly affect their motivation. And this is not the entire list of positive aspects.

What can get in the way of delegation?

Obstacles to the competent transfer of functions and responsibilities can arise from both the employee and the manager.

Interference from the boss

fears of losing control of the company;
fear of competition from lower-level employees (“they will sit on you”);
doubt about the competence of subordinates;
uncertainty about a positive outcome.

Interference from subordinates

doubt about the necessity of the functions performed;
inexperience in exercising leadership responsibilities;
disagreement with the manager regarding the delegation of functions;
reluctance to expose yourself and share responsibility with the manager (especially if the authority to impose penalties is delegated).

If a subordinate is not ready or does not want to perform the function delegated to him, he gradually (for example, constantly consulting even on the simplest issues) or directly (“sorry, I can’t do it”) returns authority to the manager. This is called reverse delegation.

Reasons for the manager’s reluctance to delegate authority

Every leader knows what needs to be delegated, but does not do it. Why?

Causes:

Lack of experience;
Does not consider delegation a priority;
The feeling of significance, that everything revolves around him, so the manager unconsciously avoids delegation, which puts him in a position of lack of time, and when there is no time to rethink the situation, this blocks his development to the next stage, a kind of vicious circle;
The manager is afraid to strain his subordinates, feeling guilty, forgetting that he is paid money for management, and delegation is a key function of management;
The leader does not delegate because he is afraid of resistance;
Afraid of ruining relationships with subordinates;
Afraid of making a mistake;
Afraid of low qualifications of subordinates. In order to have someone to delegate to, you need to constantly have a small turnover of staff so that the “weak link leaves.”

How to learn to delegate

How to learn to competently delegate tasks and powers, what principles to follow so that the delegation process is simple and understandable? The principle should be: “Delegate everything that can be delegated.”

8.1 Delegation algorithm

Decompose and identify repeating business processes. An example of a repeating business process: every day you need to analyze the balance of goods in the warehouse and re-order it if the balance is not sufficient. This or a similar task can be delegated to one of the subordinates;
First, evaluate the work of the entire team and identify those people whom you trust and are ready to delegate their powers;
Delegate repetitive work to these employees based on their workload. If you put everything on one person, you risk losing his enthusiasm and motivation;
The next step is to prepare the employee, clearly formulate the task and create motivation. You need to show how to do this work, give a sample;
To properly delegate a task, set aside a dedicated time in your schedule. It’s not worth saving time on delegation, as it can cost more;
Then the subordinate completes the task independently, but under your control;
Well, in the future, you can leave only the controlling part for yourself, and entrust the execution completely to the delegate.

8.2. Delegation - tips

What to consider when delegating tasks and authority:

The qualifications of the subordinate, take into account previous experience with this person; the more experienced the employee, the less detailed instructions should be given, and the more important the task can be delegated to him;
Subordinate's motivation. I advise you not to create financial motivation every time, but to create a certain field of tension, that is, on the one hand there should be a salary, and on the other hand there should be punishment for failure to comply with the job description or orders of the immediate supervisor. Moreover, if there were precedents, including dismissal, then there is no need to worry about motivation at all, and the delegation process will be easy and simple;
Before delegating, compare the motivation and qualifications of the employee; if a subordinate is very motivated and not at all qualified, he can “break the woods”;
The criticality of the quality of execution, for example, if you are the chief physician and delegate a neurosurgeon to perform a brain operation on the regional prosecutor, then you yourself understand that there is no room for error, it will be impossible to correct something later;
During the delegation process, the subordinate must write down the essence and algorithm for completing the task;
Upon completion of the delegation process, the manager is obliged to make sure that the subordinate understands everything correctly by asking him questions about understanding the purpose of the task and the sufficiency of resources. A correctly chewed task is difficult not to complete;
When delegating a task, you need to indicate the priority of this task relative to others;
The employee is obliged to write down all instructions, and the manager is obliged to record and monitor their implementation;
At the last stage of delegation, the subordinate must confirm the agreed deadlines for completing the task.

8.3. Preparation before delegating tasks

Before delegation, the manager must:

Deciding how “chewed” a task should be depends on the qualifications and experience of the subordinate, as well as the complexity of the task;
Set deadlines;
Identify the criteria for completing the task;
Prepare a logical justification, the purpose of the work, why, for what purpose and why exactly this way. It will be easier for an employee to complete a task when he sees the overall picture of the project. In addition, it ensures better quality of task completion.

8.4 How to check whether a subordinate understands the assigned task?

Can I ask him to comment on how he will complete the task? In what order? This will be a kind of test. Naturally, this only applies to new tasks. By asking questions like these, you increase the effectiveness of delegation.

8.5. Delegation technique

To master the delegation technique, take this list, make a checklist, and complete it point by point. Over time, you will develop the skill of proper delegation. This way you will avoid mistakes and save time on developing you as a leader. You quickly master the delegation function, and move on to mastering another one.

In my case, all development was blocked by lack of time, since I myself went to suppliers, prepared documents, handed over materials to foremen, supervised loading and unloading, etc.

It is only at the initial stage of delegation that it seems that no one can do a better job than you. But, for example, ordering and replenishing the assortment of a clothing store can be entrusted to a senior salesperson. Having previously explained and shown all the nuances.

In this case, by delegating more authority, you can increase your sales figures. After all, the manager relies only on sales reports, and the person who is directly involved in the sales process has more information. He hears the questions of the buyers themselves, their wishes, and will be able to correctly take all this into account in the application.

Delegation is a critical skill that leaders often don't use.

“Do you delegate your authority?” is a question to which 99% of managers answer: “Of course!” But when the question is asked: “What is delegation?” and “Why is this important to a manager?”, the trouble begins. As a result, only 15–20% of managers remain who actually delegate their powers.

What is delegation? This is the transfer by a manager of part of his powers, duties and responsibilities to his subordinate. Why do you need to do this?

The first reason is to free up your time as a leader to solve more global problems of strategic importance. The second reason is to create quality experience for the subordinate for personal and professional development. And the third is to test the subordinate’s ability to manage, develop initiative and prepare to solve diverse problems, which he will subsequently need for career growth.

There are many more reasons for delegating authority. But the more important question is not why we delegate, but why we don't delegate. And here a number of beliefs of managers arise: “We don’t delegate because it’s easier to do it yourself: faster, better and more reliable.” In addition, we are afraid of losing control of the situation; we are afraid of losing our importance as a leader; we are afraid of becoming replaceable; we don’t trust our subordinates; we don’t know what needs to be delegated and to whom, etc.

To delegate, you need to solve several problems. Firstly, delegation takes a lot of time: it’s faster to do it yourself than to train, and then also control someone. At first, you spend two or even three times more time on this than necessary. The first law of delegation: delegation is a planned process. If we delegate authority, we must understand absolutely precisely: what we are delegating, to what extent, to whom, when and how long it will take.

What are we delegating?

How do we determine what we can and cannot delegate? The best way is to determine how long it takes to complete the tasks that the manager has been performing over the past few months. Unfortunately, the job description does not answer this question. After analyzing your work, you can identify which tasks can be delegated and which cannot. It’s easier to note that it’s not possible. Firstly, you cannot delegate all matters related to motivation (payroll, bonuses, bonuses) and feedback. Secondly, you cannot delegate highly specialized, specific and risky tasks, since you cannot predict the result, and you yourself do not know what to do correctly. Therefore, tasks that relate to risk should remain on the conscience of the manager. Third, the powers that cannot be delegated include strategic things that matter over a period of 3–5 years. Why? Because the company’s strategy can only be determined by the manager, and responsibility for its implementation also falls entirely on the manager.

Everything else can be delegated.

In what order is it best to delegate your authority?

It all depends on how you set priorities, what goals are important for you to achieve by delegating your powers. For example, if the goal of delegation is to save your working time, you better start delegating with the most time-consuming tasks - then these tasks will become a priority. If your goal is to “grow” your subordinate, that is, to prepare a new generation of management personnel to rely on, you should start with tasks that are less complex so that your subordinate begins to get used to the process of delegating authority. And so on.

Who should you delegate your authority to?

For example, we have determined that our goal is to free up time and we should get rid of some routine tasks. Now we need to determine which of our subordinates can solve this problem. Please pay attention to the following signs. The first is a person’s desire, that is, to what extent he has an internal need to expand his professional skills. The second is a person’s capabilities: how much experience and competence does he have to take responsibility for performing a new task. The third is how much time he has to do this. If your subordinate is busy with a big project, then, most likely, delegation will not be relevant for him.

When to delegate, and how long will it take you to delegate?

To do this, we return to the question “why is delegation a systematic process”? As we have already noted, a manager uses a tool such as delegation, most often at a time when he has absolutely no time. While walking, a subordinate is given some task, the subordinate somehow understood it and somehow completed it or did not complete it. The manager is nervous, the area of responsibility and authority is unclear, and so on.

But if delegation is a planned process, then we get the following output. For example, you have chosen to delegate the task of preparing materials and collecting data for a monthly report. We determined what we would delegate to Mr. Ivanov. What do we do then?

We look at the work schedule and determine how long it will take. For example, this is a monthly report, which takes three days to prepare, and must be submitted by the 5th day of the month following the reporting month. This means that a week before the start of data collection, it is necessary to hold a delegation meeting with a subordinate - so that we have a week to formulate a clear algorithm for completing this task. To do this, the subordinate must set aside time, figure out how data is collected, with whom he must communicate, etc. And at the same time, you should prepare employees from whom your subordinate Ivanov will collect outgoing data for the report, informing them in writing about the transfer of authority to their subordinate - that is, that this information can be received by Mr. Ivanov. Thus, this time is spent preparing the delegation.

Next, three days are spent on implementing the delegation. Here you either tell your subordinate step by step what needs to be done and check, monitoring his work, or you do everything together with him, devoting him to all the nuances that exist in this work. After this, you should have time to look at and check all the summary data that Ivanov prepared and evaluate the quality of his work. At this moment you understand that if you had done this work yourself, it would have taken you not three days, but four hours. Now you will need at least eight hours to explain, check and correct the work of your subordinate. We add your time and the time of your subordinate to this - and we have large labor costs.

What do we get out of putting in such efforts on our part? The first time this process is very difficult and time-consuming. But by the next month, your subordinate already knows this whole process, and you can trust him to go the whole way on his own. However, at the same time, you must have control points by which you can check and correct the work of your subordinate. For example, the process of collecting information on sales results by region is checkpoint “1”, checkpoint “2” is checking summary tables, checkpoint “3” is preliminary monitoring of what needs to be done to improve results, that is, recommendations and etc.

Feedback to the subordinate. Next month, you will spend a total of not 8 hours, but already 2–4 hours monitoring and adjusting the process of completing this task, depending on how competent your subordinate is in this matter. In this part of delegation, you will spend more time monitoring the work of the subordinate. Well, in the third month, your subordinate will complete the task independently, and your time will only be spent checking the summary data he collected. And if in the third month your subordinate does not make any mistakes, in the future you can spend no more than 15 minutes on selective control. As a result, you will free up 4 hours a month by performing only this task.

Thus, planning for delegation is necessary. It takes a lot of time at the first stage, but this time must be allocated to teach the subordinate, otherwise delegation loses its meaning.

Of course, I demonstrated the longest possible path of delegation. In practice, everything depends on your ability to set tasks and correctly organize the delegation process, as well as the efficiency, preparedness and desire of your subordinate.

Secret Steps to Delegating Authority

The Delegation process consists of the following stages:

Analysis of the tasks and functions of a manager
Planning what, to whom, when to delegate
Communication with subordinates
Training and support of a subordinate
Monitoring and analysis of the situation
Feedback to a subordinate

We have passed the first two stages

The third part of the delegation process itself is a direct meeting with the selected subordinate. So we need to go through the following steps.

Creating an atmosphere of trust

Delegation, like any communication, we begin with the formation of an atmosphere of trust, the task of which is to emotionally prepare the subordinate for the conversation, to set up a positive working procedure for the meeting. In this case, the manager can praise the subordinate for specific results, clarify how things are going, what is happening, etc.

Rationale for the proposal

Next, we need to inform the subordinate about the purpose of our meeting. The wording may be something like this: “I would like to discuss with you the expansion of the range of your tasks, and this is what caused it...”. At this point, we communicate in general terms the essence of the delegated task. And further, you need to justify from the subordinate's point of view the reason why delegation is valuable and important to the subordinate and to the company.

Even if the purpose of delegation is to reduce time costs, in essence this is your task and it has nothing to do with your subordinate. But the subordinate needs to be told why you trust him with this matter. In this case, different options may be suitable as arguments, ranging from: “I see that you are no longer interested and bored, so I decided...”, or “I see that you have potential for professional growth and you need to develop further, therefore, I propose and...” and ending with “I can only entrust this matter to you. You cope very well with this kind of task, I need your help...” In such a conversation, you also need to explain why this task is important for the subordinate and what its completion gives him.

For some employees, it is necessary to explain what such a task is within the company. For example, if the formation of a personnel reserve is the company’s policy, then it is important to inform the subordinate about this: “My task, like the task of any manager, is to prepare a high-quality successor for myself. And you are one of the candidates for this position. Therefore, we must expand the range of your tasks with you, so that you can carry them out.”

Receiving feedback from a subordinate

Before agreeing on what and how to do, we need to listen to the subordinate’s opinion on your proposal.

As a rule, the first reaction of a subordinate is emotional. And the manager can easily see the motivation (desire) of the subordinate for development, expansion of professional activities, etc. Delegation may not take place if the subordinate does not show interest in new tasks. In this case, there may be two reasons: either you, as a manager, made a mistake at the planning stage and chose the wrong subordinate, or you failed to correctly convey and justify your proposal. But even in this case, the manager should once again justify his opinion.

It is important to remember that the subordinate’s reaction can be in two formats. The first format refers to subordinates with the meta-profiles “result orientation”, “motivation aspiration”. Such subordinates initially say “Yes,” because for them it is a kind of challenge. But they may not calculate their capabilities. And therefore, it is important to talk through these points with them, asking: “Where will you get the time to do this work, how will you collect information” - talking through the risks that will lie when performing this task.

The second format refers to subordinates with “avoidance motivation” and “process orientation”. Such an employee will ask a lot of questions about the process, deadlines, and so on. Those objections that for many reasons may not be voiced by subordinates need to be raised independently; for this we had part of the preparation for delegation.

But, if the subordinate has not demonstrated motivation to complete the given task, you should look for another subordinate.

Formulation of the problem

Next, we clearly explain the task and the algorithm for performing it, and this can be done in several ways. Remembering situational management, we can follow the pattern by asking a subordinate: “How do you think this can be accomplished?” At the same time, it is worth understanding that if this is a very high-level task, by delegating it, we transfer responsibility to a subordinate for its implementation. And therefore, it would be correct to inform your subordinate about how you are doing this. At the same time, after the second or third completion of a new task by a subordinate, you should ask him: “How can I do it differently to improve the performance of this task?” Thus, we inform you of the task, what it consists of, how long it takes, with whom the communication takes place, and what powers your subordinate will have.

You further explain:

How your subordinate will be introduced and introduced to other participants who are involved in this process, his powers.
How the delegation process will work in terms of training and support. It is absolutely specified here: when we will talk about this task and this schedule is agreed upon in advance. For example, 15 minutes every day at 12:00.
That responsibility for completing this task already falls on our subordinate.
Intermediate control points at which control will be exercised on your part.

Of course, it is clear to you that all responsibility, as the head of the department, for what is happening in the department lies solely with you, because we are responsible for the work of the department entrusted to us. But at the same time, the subordinate to whom we delegate the task we have defined must also be responsible to you for completing this task. And therefore, it is important to discuss this point with your subordinate, saying something like this: “For the first time, I will help you, but in the future, responsibility for the quality and speed of execution belongs entirely to you and such parameters depend on this...”.

Completing delegation communication

The last stage requires, on the one hand, a rational approach, and in this the manager can be helped by the technique of summarizing the meeting, and on the other hand, emotional support, which can be expressed, for example, in the form of gratitude for the support and/or a handshake.

The delegation process does not end there, but the process of first communication with the subordinate ends.

This is how the delegation function works. Reviewing the entire delegation process, it becomes clear that it is impossible to delegate everything to everyone at once: this takes months and years. Another important thing in delegation is the question: “Is the delegated task delegated forever?” And the answer here is this: many tasks can be delegated forever. But there are tasks, by delegating which, from a management point of view, you can lose some of the operational information necessary for the manager to make the correct decision. Therefore, some tasks can be delegated with notes: “when I’m on vacation,” “when I’m busy,” and so on. Having explained to the subordinate that only at my request you will perform this task, and the rest of the time I will do it. This is how partial delegation is used. In doing so, we achieve the following things. If necessary, we have a subordinate who is 100% able to perform this task. We don’t burden this person and can, when we need to, perform this task ourselves.

This information is enough to successfully delegate your powers.

Alina Kravchenko “ConsultingGroup”

How to delegate correctly - an example

In order to delegate correctly, answer yourself a series of questions, and then distribute responsibilities between employees, following this plan. Let's look at a specific example of the work of a store manager.

What? State what you want to delegate. Do you want to transfer weekly orders of sold items? What exactly needs to be done for this? In what form should this be given to the supplier? Is there a clear framework for this task, and are adjustments possible?
Who? Who should you delegate this task to? Who is responsible for it, based on job descriptions? To what extent are you and the performer responsible? At what stages and who controls this issue?
For what? Why is it even worth replenishing the product range every week, and what can happen if you don’t? It is necessary to clearly convey to the employee the importance of the task - this will create the necessary motivation;
How? During delegation, you should not only explain how the process itself occurs, but also take into account all the nuances. Who should I notify in case of delivery delay? How can I change an order, and at what stages can this still be done?
With using what? Tell us everything. How can you see sales in the program for different periods, see the balances in the warehouse, give all the contacts that may be useful to the contractor, right down to the support and security service;
When? Clearly set a time frame for when the employee must start work and submit it. If necessary, set intermediate deadlines when you must monitor the stages of work.

Delegation mistakes and how to avoid them

But even if you strictly follow all the principles and rules of delegation, you may encounter problems. What are the main mistakes that managers can make? You need to know them to avoid trouble.

A common mistake of weak managers is to pay a subordinate extra for delegated work. Ideally, there should be motivation “from”. That is, the employee must be afraid of losing his job if he does not perform it at the proper level;
Another mistake of unconfident leaders is delegation on the fly. For example, a manager accidentally met a subordinate in the corridor and assigned a task on the go. This most often happens when a leader is unconsciously afraid of his subordinates and tries to quickly get out of contact.
Consequences:
- Forgetfulness of both the subordinate and the manager, since neither of them wrote down the task in the diary.
The subordinate does not delve into the essence of the task, thus reducing the effectiveness of delegation.
Poor assignment of tasks to employees. You may have missed and failed to explain the significance of the issue. After all, it may not be clear to an employee that a banal letter with an invitation to the opening of a store, which he forgot to send, is your strategy for attracting a wholesale client for the future.
It’s a mistake not to set aside time for delegation when you expect the employee to figure it out and do the work you expect. Job responsibilities training should be conducted as soon as you assume supervisory responsibilities. And a person’s clear understanding of what he should do and what he should be responsible for will avoid many problems and conflicts.
Wrong choice of delegate. No one is immune from this mistake. You could be wrong, the employee could overestimate himself. The main thing here is to resolve the problem in a timely manner. In this case, it is important not to miss the control process and change the candidate in time.
The effectiveness of delegation is reduced by the situation when the manager has friendly relations with the team, subordinates refuse to take tasks seriously and do not appreciate their importance. This undermines your authority. The boss must be able to be a tough leader, and only then a friend. Be a mentor who does not ask you to do it, but gives you instructions that must be fulfilled.
The manager is afraid to delegate, and does the responsible work himself. Solution: tighter control at the initial stage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Delegation

Of course, delegation has its pros and cons. But in fairness, I note that the disadvantages only appear when delegation is incorrect.

Pros of delegation

Trains and develops employees
Contributes to the development of the enterprise as a whole
Forms a team and identifies promising employees
Saves the manager’s working time, which he can spend on solving more important tasks
Hones the manager's management skills
Allows you to make maximum use of the “expertise” of employees in all areas
Motivates staff using intangible methods. By delegating authority, you can retain valuable employees without promoting them.
Increases staff loyalty to management and the company as a whole
Provides an opportunity to assess the abilities and qualifications of workers in the field
Increases employee autonomy

Disadvantages of Delegation

You cannot be 100% sure that the process of delegation of authority will lead to the desired result. If you are a manager of the “if you want to do something well, do it yourself” type of manager, it will be difficult for you to “share” with someone

Reverse situation: You are afraid that your subordinate will cope with the task much better than you. Employees feel this and turn on the “reverse delegation” mode, when the task, under the pretext “it can’t be done without you,” is returned back to the manager. In this way, subordinates get rid of “extra” work. And the leader receives confirmation of his indispensability
You will have to trust your subordinates. After all, along with responsibility, they will also be given powers (for example, access to confidential information and the right to sign documents)

Delegation problems

Unfortunately, not all employees are happy to complete tasks. Let's look at some delegation issues.

11.1. Resistance to delegation

Types of employee resistance when delegating tasks:

Openly refuses – active resistance;
Sabotage, looking for excuses and reasons why this cannot be done, in general they blow the mind of the manager;
He does the work very slowly, doesn’t strain at all, makes it look like he’s working. And it is clear to the manager that the task will not be completed on time.

11.2. Reasons for Resistance to Delegation

The employee does not understand why he was assigned the task;
It is not clear why to do this, that is, the logic of decision-making is not clear;
Lack of proper authority of the leader;
Lack of experience and understanding of the task;
Lack of support for completing tasks;
Overload with other tasks;
Inequity in pay. For example, when a less busy employee receives much more than a more busy one. There are especially arrogant employees who know how to bargain with the manager and get themselves a higher salary for the same or less work. Accordingly, more modest employees who are embarrassed to demand higher pay lose motivation and begin to quietly sabotage the completion of tasks.

11.3. Mistakes of a manager when faced with staff resistance:

The manager puts the task in reverse, that is, lags behind the employee, performs it himself or assigns it to another employee. It turns out that the subordinate “defeated” the boss. This should not be allowed under any circumstances. Otherwise, the entire management system in your team will fall apart;
“Doubly loads the horse that carries it” - that is, it loads the more docile subordinates with work, and does not touch the more arrogant ones. This situation also reduces motivation, and most importantly, reduces the authority of the leader, takes away part of his power, so to speak;
He does not understand the reasons for resistance, does not convince the employee at a deep, essential level of the need to complete this task, and in an orderly manner he puzzles the subordinate, thereby transferring active resistance into the passive phase.

11.4. How to reduce staff resistance during delegation - conditions

The responsibility is spelled out in the job description, and as you know, an employee can be very easily fired for failure to fulfill job duties. I recommend that you initially include in your job description the obligation to carry out the orders of your immediate supervisor. This way you will protect yourself if you forget to register something. Or if you need to force an employee to resign, then you can assign him uninteresting, low-prestige work;
The employee understands why this task is being performed and its importance;
A detailed explanation of the algorithm for completing the task, listening to and neutralizing the employee’s doubts.

Types of powers and centralization of management

What are powers? This is the right to use company resources to achieve set goals.

There are two types of powers:

Linear. Authority is transferred along a “chain” from the boss to the deputy, from the deputy to the head of the department and down to the final performer.
Staff. An extra-system apparatus that allows you to control, advise and influence the work of a linear structure.

Depending on the type of authority, two types of management are distinguished.

Centralized management system

In a centralized system, top management makes most of the decisions (even the smallest and most routine ones). In such structures, “a step to the left, a step to the right is punishable by execution.”

Example: a rigid speech module for call center operators in some companies. Recordings of conversations with clients are subject to mandatory listening. At the slightest deviation from the conversation pattern, the employee will be fined.

Decentralized control system

In a decentralized system, the manager's functions are not so rigidly fixed. They have a main goal and recommended ways to achieve it. Everything else is at the discretion of the performer.

If we take the same example with a call center, then in a decentralized system employees are allowed to communicate with the client in any way they wish. But in a friendly tone, politely and without colloquial expressions. The principle of correspondence is included. The main goal of the employees is quality service and satisfied customers. In such a model, the “lion’s” share of decisions is made on the spot by the performer.