Successful management is impossible without delegation. As a standard organizational practice, a manager assigns the work, and employees are expected to complete the tasks; and if all goes well, everyone can go home happy at the end of the day. But there is much more to good, productive delegation than just handing out work assignments.
An employee performs best when they can see themselves as an integral part of the organization. We, as managers, need to make sure there is consistent communication about our organization. All team members should be given the opportunity to learn as much as they reasonably can about the company — our mission, our values, our overall direction, our customers, anything that paints the larger picture of what the work is and why we are doing it.
Assigning responsibilities sounds simple enough for some functions but in many cases, it can be complicated – especially if employees have not been offered foundational knowledge about the products or services the organization provides to its customers. To work in a factory assembling bits and pieces is important work; but the factory worker should also get the chance to see and understand the final product. The same is true for a service job – the paperwork is important but a strong grasp on the final product is essential to success.
Ordering people to do certain tasks with little or no understanding of goals and measures just will not cut it in today’s world. The more employees understand about the work, the more they can help with suggestions for improvement. And when it comes time for a manager to delegate, they can move forward confidently with the knowledge that all parties understand the skills required for the task and are able to define the finished product.
After assigning any task, a manager should invite an open question-and-answer discussion about the process. No party should walk away until there is a full understanding of the finished product. This is also the point at which the manager should convey a clear definition of success for the task and present the method of evaluation. Employees need to be able to evaluate their own performance against agreed upon measures. Both parties should have a well-crafted understanding of the task at hand so there can be a mutually satisfactory conclusion.
Early in my career, a mentor of mine took me to task for letting my delegation and management skills slide. I had pitched in on the manual labor assigned to my twenty-person team and lost sight of three employees who were idle. Vic Grosso, my mentor, said: “Joe, I want you to think of yourself as an orchestra leader. It is up to you to get all of these musicians (my staff) playing instruments (doing the work) to produce good music (get the job done).” He pointed out: “You seldom see an orchestra leader playing an instrument.” This was a great learning lesson for me.
The further you climb the leadership ladder, the more complex the art of delegation becomes. When I was a CEO, I preached pushing decision-making as far down the ladder as possible. When your people make decisions, they will find creative ways to overcome obstacles, and they will build their own confidence. As an added bonus, they will respect you.
Delegation works best when you are thorough, thoughtful and open to feedback.
published Nashville Business Journal
Always good and chuck-full of common sense Joe. Keep it up!
Excellent point that people do better work and are more satisfied when they know how their work impacts others, and fits into the final product. And the manager is more confident delegating to people who understand the big picture.