Delegation

When we think of delegating, it is a common misconception that it is just a manager getting rid of some of their work to one of their direct reports, often because they don't have time to do it themselves. Whilst I can't deny that this may happen, this is not delegation; this is dumping.

So what is delegation?

Delegation is much more about looking at the task in hand and thinking about who is best suited to pick up the activity. This may be because their skills and expertise makes them more suitable, or it may be that there is a developmental need. You can therefore delegate to a peer and not necessarily to someone more junior.

It's important that the person delegating does not 'dump and run', but takes time and gives consideration to the information and detail being passed over, making sure that the individual picking the activity up has all the information they need for them to do the best job possible. It may also be that they will need to work jointly with someone else for part of the activity, so they need to know who they may need to liaise with.

With this in mind, delegation is most effective when the person delegating maintains overall accountability for the project or task. This allows them to oversee the general progress without the need for directive or micro management, as the detail should be left to the person carrying out the project. Another common misconception is that once delegated, they abdicate responsibility; yet this is when things can go awry. The individual picking up the work may need further support at a later stage, so this is imperative to keep things on track, especially if delegation is being used as a developmental tool. Even if it's checking-in with them on a monthly basis, it's important that communication remains a two-way process and that expectations are both clearly defined and managed.