Effective Delegation

An organization is defined as a structure through which individuals cooperate systematically to conduct business, and this is the purview of managers. It has been said that the best manager is the one who has the least amount to do. When you think about it, that axiom is true because a manager’s job is that of a coordinator inside an organization. To be effective, managers need to practice effective delegation.

The higher an owner or employee progresses in an organization, the greater their area of responsibility. There is a point at which the scope of their responsibility becomes larger than any one person can handle. That does not mean that they do not try, but another axiom says, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” At that point one must delegate authority and responsibilities to other people. Otherwise, meeting the needs of the business through proper performance is jeopardized.

Two major benefits of effective delegation are the distribution of the work load and the development of subordinates.

The best way to figure out what can be delegated and what should not is to identify the elements of the work at hand. From that identification the elements can be put in different classifications such as A, B, and C items.

· “A” items are the few duties that are the most important and cannot be delegated. Only you can perform them.
· “B” items are some duties that are important but not critical, so they may be delegated to someone other than to you.
· “C” items are the greatest number of duties that are necessary to the business but of lesser importance than the “B” items. These should be delegated.

In my practice I routinely teach owners, executives and supervisors the importance of learning how to manage through other people. To be successful it is essential to keep control by holding subordinates accountable for their actions. One must strike a balance. You do not get so close that you are looking over subordinates’ shoulders. Neither do you want to become so far removed that you do not know what is going on. The way to succeed at that balance is to develop a system for getting feedback.

I have worked in companies that had reports on reports and conducted meetings on meetings. I never liked it, so whenever I hear someone in business say that they hate reports and meetings, I empathize with them. However, what they are telling me is that the paperwork and the blabberwork have lost reason. Reports and meetings mean nothing unless they have the purpose of keeping you informed. The reports should provide you information at the right time. Meetings should permit dialogue on activities, accomplishments, and problems -- an important part of the communication process.

It is not so much that there are rules to follow as accomplishments to achieve. The first thing to accomplish is to make sure that subordinates clearly understand the tasks they must perform. A good practice is to have your subordinates describe what it is they think you want them to accomplish. You also need to make sure that employees have the skill, talent, and ability to perform their job. The last thing you want is to delegate a job destined to result in failure or frustration.

Another good practice is to allow your subordinates latitude in how a job should be performed. Your way is not the only way. Having said that, however, make sure that you provide all the resources necessary to successfully perform a job. Let your subordinates do the work, but make sure that you can provide them with help in getting the job accomplished if necessary.

Everyone wins when you make a habit of doing the following early and often:
· Delegate not only the menial, unimportant jobs but also the significant ones. Employees will see this as a vote of confidence.
· Remain accessible. Always provide a safety net for your subordinates. Be available as necessary, but avoid engaging in over-the-shoulder surveillance.
· When a job is performed well, praise the subordinates for their performance.

In my experience delegation is the hardest job that business owners and managers have to learn. They confuse delegation with giving subordinates many responsibilities but little or no authority. Success requires both the delegation of responsibilities and of the authority. Enough authority must be delegated to accomplish the following:

· To get work done
· To allow key employees to take initiative
· To keep things going in your absence
· To develop subordinates
· To establish accountability
· To free up management time for higher level activity

In that way your responsibilities and the needs of the organization are effectively met. The higher up you progress in an organization, the more important the practice of effective delegation becomes. It might seem contra-intuitive, but the old axiom applies. You want to be the manager with the least amount to do.

Who Is In Charge Here?

Whether you are a sole proprietor running a small company of family and friends or the president of a company that employs thousands of people, there is something called “depth of management.” It is similar to the military “chain of command” and can be diagramed in an organization chart. Research has shown that a supervisor is required for every three to five people performing a unit task. If there are three to five supervisors, they need a supervisor and so forth. The larger a company gets, the structure is more about managing the flow of information than the activities of employees, but supervision is supervision whether it is peoplework or paperwork.

A common problem for all is how they answer the question, “Who is in charge here?” An owner’s offspring is put in charge, a worker is promoted to supervisor, and a principal hires a friend or outsider. Negative repercussions can result unless those people who are put in charge of other people understand what being a supervisor is about. It is not about being “the boss.” Boss is not a job title or a position. Supervisor is a job title and the position is about getting a job done.

A supervisor is a person who is responsible for the work being accomplished by one or more employees.

The supervisor must have the ability to handle the function to which they are assigned and the ability to control and direct those employees whom they supervise, or subordinates. The capacity of supervisory personnel is largely dependent upon their personality, background, education, and work experience. Good supervisor are open-minded and alert to new ideas, allowing them to be flexible in handling varying situations that must be faced daily.

Successful supervisors display three main qualities: stability, decisiveness and understanding.

Emotional stability is essential. Good supervisors must be able to control her or his temper under all conditions, especially when the going gets tough. They must follow an orderly, well-planned procedure that is flexible enough to permit changes when necessary. Decisions must be handled positively and quickly because shaky and uncertain decisions will cost the respect of both subordinates and other supervisors. Subordinates who are made to feel that they are understood enjoy working under their supervisor's steady and dependable direction.

The qualifications for supervisors include impartiality, leadership, confidence and balance.

Supervisors must be impartial and impersonal, not allowing their personal likes and dislikes to influence their decisions. Good supervisors are leaders rather than drivers. Subordinates take pride in their work when they feel it is worthwhile. Supervisors must be able to train subordinates in their tasks and be able to instill a feeling of confidence in their abilities. A good supervisor also knows when to praise a subordinate for work well done as well as to correct a subordinate privately for unsatisfactory performance.

The responsibilities of supervisors share core attributes regardless of their company size.

· Accepting and understanding all duties delegated to them.
· Developing recommendations to modify tasks assigned to subordinates.
· Establishing coordination and discipline among subordinates.
· Evaluating the performance of subordinates.
· Training subordinates at all levels and developing selected individuals to become assistants and to assume the supervisor's duties when the need arises.
· Simplifying all activities to necessary essentials by eliminating marginal work and non-productive effort.
· Maintaining operating records of the quality and quantity of work performed.
· Planning, and rescheduling work to obtain improved workflow and increased production.
· Performing the operations within approved standards by attending to all assigned duties and acting on matters as they arise.
· Observing and practicing all policies.

The authority of a supervisor includes responsibility, jurisdiction, and morale.

Regardless of the delegation of duties to subordinates, supervisors remain personally responsible for the proper performance of all duties assigned to the position and to the organizational unit they supervise. Under no circumstances should the authority of any supervisor be destroyed by the direct issuance of instructions to personnel under that supervisor's jurisdiction by other supervisory personnel, regardless of the organizational rank of the latter.

The supervisor must have exclusive jurisdiction and authority over all personnel, equipment, and facilities for which they are responsible. Supervisors are entitled to the full cooperation of their own supervisor in the event that an employee is judged unsatisfactory and must be transferred or terminated.

All supervisory personnel are expected to develop and maintain a high standard of morale and production in addition to being fully familiar with all company policies. Each supervisor may make recommendations concerning subordinate employees. However, only a functional manager has the authority to hire, promote, demote, discipline, or terminate any employee within the functional section.

Supervisors share some core administrative and general duties regardless of company size.

· Achieving a well-organized, smooth running unit by making competent selections, providing sufficient training, and closely supervising assigned personnel.
· Securing effective, productive use of all personnel, equipment, and supplies in their unit.
· Building and maintaining employee morale.
· Operating their unit within established guidelines and budgets.
· Maintaining productivity and improving methods and procedures whenever possible.
· Providing proper maintenance, control, and proper use of all equipment, including a preventative maintenance program when applicable.
· Ensuring strict adherence to safety rules and practices at all times.
· Reducing potential hazards in the work place.
· Reducing wasteful use of resources.

Proper supervision is the prime activity for top management. Its agenda is to operate an organization productively and smoothly. Supervision is the way companies obtain the necessary coordination, cooperation, and communication required to succeed. Supervisors must always put emphasis on the details of doing a job, not just on accomplishing the end result. That is what being in charge means.