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Delegation Primer
Bob Ryan, About Purpose, Inc. ©2003
I've had several occasions lately to talk to people about delegation – only to realize that while everyone knows what it is, few know the basics of delegation and how to use it wisely. If you are among this group of delegation-challenged individuals, I offer the following thoughts and tips. For the rest of you, may I suggest you use this as a review?
Think over your recent delegated tasks and evaluate yourself on how well you are using this powerful and necessary skill.
We delegate all the time. Most often, though, we do it “by feel,” not really making clear what level of authority we’re authorizing, or even the specific outcome we expect. Whether we know it or not, we are delegating every time we write a job description, every time we innocently ask someone to “look into it,” and every time we set up a committee. If we could always be purposeful about delegation, we will find our employees and ourselves much more productive and satisfied in the work setting.
Levels of Delegation - When writing job descriptions, assigning a task, or giving a charge to a work group, always identify the level of authority being delegated. There are four levels. Choose which level is best by evaluating both the task and the maturity of the person to whom you’re delegating.
Level One is Act, Do Not Inform - that is, go ahead and take action, no reporting necessary. This level is for decisions such as low level buying decisions that are already accounted for in the budget; it may be for taking action within the predefined limits of a person’s job or skill level. Level One delegation is used more often for mature employees who have proven themselves over time and in many situations.
Level Two is Act, Then Inform. This level is good for decisions that we may need to back our staff up on later, or which affect future planning. The informing may be direct or through a paper trail of reports or checklists. Still for mature employees, this level assures that we continue to have a picture of what is going on within this area of operations.
Level Three is Inform, Then Act. This is important for decisions that may affect other areas of the company that our manager or team may not know about or an area that may have legal or ethical considerations. It essentially gives us a veto power. This is certainly the level to use when we are uncertain of an employee’s maturity or skill level. It opens up “teachable moments” for our employees, which allows them to reach higher levels of maturity. They see how and why we make decisions, which, in turn, shapes their abilities.
Level Four is Inform, Don't Act. This level is asking only for recommendations and is useful especially for strategic decisions in which input is needed to make a bigger decision in the future. This may be either for mature or immature employees, because the task here is not action, but research and recommendation. It is especially important that people know ahead of time if this is the level being delegated. Two big reasons: It avoids people taking actions that we are not ready to take, and it avoids cutting the legs out from under people who thought they had authority and don’t.
The general rule is, if we make the authority level clear, we will avoid costly mistakes and eliminate frustration and hurt feelings among our staff.
The Rules of Delegation – Now that it is clear what authority we are delegating, we need to keep in mind a few simple rules to make sure the delegation is successful. Here is a checklist you can copy and use to be sure you’ve followed all the “rules.”
A. Did I make clear the expected results? - Mission related? The most important part of delegation is the initial communication. Be sure there is clear understanding of why the task is being delegated and how it fits into the bigger picture.
B. Did I set clear limitations? Make sure that the parameters within which the task is to be accomplished are clear. Usually there are budget limitations, regulations, ethical considerations, etc.
C. Did I delegate to the appropriate person? That person is the one who is best suited to accomplish the task in terms of skills, knowledge, maturity, personality, etc. Set them up for success.
D. Did I initiate a self-monitoring control system? It is ideal if the person can clearly monitor his/her own success. Set clear milestones and measurable outcomes along the way. The more self-monitoring, the higher the likelihood of a successful outcome.
E. Did I delegate sufficient authority? This is especially important if you are delegating a task that cuts across department or organizational lines. Sending a lamb into a lion’s den is a sure recipe for disaster.
F. Did I actively appropriate sufficient resources? If the task is truly worth doing, it is worth funding it well. It is your job to equip the person with all the needed resources so that the task will be successful.
Effective delegation doesn’t just “happen.” It is a powerful tool that is best used with careful planning and consideration. Like any other tool, it works best when used correctly. Try it out and practice with it.