Clearview® Performance Systems brings you ... ... a Culture of Results & Engagement™
Here's the next in our series of weekly managerial TIPS (Techniques, Insights, and Practical Solutions)
to help you better engage your team in the activities that lead to higher performance.
CORE Bites Issue #36
The SCIENCE of delegation is made up of two parts, the why we need to do it and the what it is. The 'why' to delegate is fairly easy to understand ... you need to delegate because the job of managing is to ensure that all the work gets done—not to do it all yourself! The 'what' in the science of delegation is also not that complicated ... delegation is the transfer of authority from one individual to another to carry out specific activities, functions, tasks, and/or decisions.
So, if it's that easy, why is it that a surprisingly large number of managers don’t delegate well — or at all?
Do any of these "Delegation isn't possible in this case because ..." statements sound familiar?
"... it will take me longer to explain than it would to just do it myself."
"... my people are too busy already with their own work. I don't want to overload them."
"... I'm really not sure if anyone on my team is skilled enough to take on that responsibility. What if they fail?"
While I acknowledge this wouldn't qualify as pure academic research, but after training thousands of managers, I have pretty solid anecdotal evidence that one of the most difficult transitions for managers to make is the shift from doing to managing. And delegation is a powerful way to make that transition. But effective delegation can be a delicate dance—there is much more ART to delegation than there is science.
The 'science' of delegation stipulates that—as managers—we delegate downward to get work done by our employees. This 'pushing work down' can be challenging when people are busy, when they may not have the exact skills to perform the task, and when they may not know what results or outcomes are expected or needed (see the "Delegation isn't possible in this case because ..." statements, above).
The 'art' of delegation looks at delegation through an entirely different lens. Instead of focusing on the result or outcome, the focus shifts to delegating for development. This type of delegation lets the employee gain invaluable experience and knowledge for the future, providing him or her an opportunity to grow. But if you're thinking this will take more time, that's not really true—if you channel the time and intensity you would have devoted to doing the job yourself and redirect that same time into educating someone else, you now have someone who's prepared to take on more in the future. Sounds like a win-win to me ... what about to you?
This week (starting today), look for ways to incorporate the 'ART of delegation' HVAs listed below:
Delegation can be a challenging process (at times) but despite how painful it may be, delegation is a critical skill all leaders must master to be successful.
I'd love to hear how this HVA works for you!
Neil Dempster, PhD, MBA
RESULTant™ and Behavioral Engineer
"If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate."
— John C. Maxwell —