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The Delegation Process

Step 1: Choose what to delegate.

To plan your delegating strategy, write a list of all the major projects for which your team is responsible. Decide which tasks only you can do, such as performance appraisals, disciplining employees or handling situations that are politically sensitive or confidential. Decide which of the remaining tasks are high priority and high risk, and thus must be done within a short timeline.

Next, determine which tasks can be given to others on the team. Are certain items recurring or routine? Someone else can handle those duties.

 

Step 2: Choose the right person to delegate to.

To whom will I delegate the task to? There are two types of delegating that managers need to consider before passing the workload to their employees: delegating for results and delegating for employee development.

Delegating for results works best when an employee knows which results are required and has the ability to determine what the assignment should look like and how to accomplish it. The task may fall into a specified area of expertise and, therefore, gets assigned to a specific person. Once the assignment is delegated, the employee has full authority to collect the data and put it into the desired format. When delegating for results, the employee is usually responsible for the outcome.

Delegating for development is used when a manager assigns a task to an employee who might not be the best suited for the job but who is nonetheless up to the challenge. In this case, the employee gains invaluable experience and knowledge for the future, providing the employee an opportunity to grow. The manager must make a significant investment of time and energy to ensure that the employee will succeed.

Start by asking the following questions of your employees:

    • What would you like to learn more about at UMW?
    • What areas would you like to expand your skills?
    • What parts of the University do you feel you know the most/least about?
    • Are you eager to change your current job duties in any way? If so, how?

With the answers to these questions, you can delegate duties to those who are receptive to accepting them.

Also, use your own observations and past performances of the employee to aide in your decision. In some cases, it is necessary to go with your instinct on who is the right person for the task.

 

Step 3: Communicate what you want done.

Effective delegation begins by explaining the “what” and “why”:

            What do you want your employees to do?

            Why were they chosen to do it?

Example:   “We need to turn in some financial information to state regulators by next Friday, and I want you to confirm all the numbers are up-to-date and accurate. You're a stickler for details, so I'm depending on you to crosscheck everything.”

In addition to having a prepared “What-why” statement, also have the answers to these questions in mind when presenting the assignment:

  1. Who should the employee work with on this assignment? Who's available to offer help?
  2. What resources or tools are available?
  3. What's the deadline?

Finally, clarify and solicit feedback as to the employee's understanding of the assignment and their willingness to comply:

    • Do you feel comfortable in tackling this assignment?
    • What else do you need to get started?
    • How do you plan to approach this?

 

Step 4: Follow up

Agree on a schedule— Establish milestones to review employees’ progress and give them a heads-up to prepare for any foreseeable problems, such as expected difficulties in securing needed approvals or information. Write down agreed-upon dates and set up quick check-in appointments. Don’t let these fall by the wayside or assume that everything is on track. To make progress meetings part of your routine, set a dedicated time each week for check-in meetings.

Support and communicate— Make sure to transfer your authority if you are assigning something you usually do yourself. For example, if you usually request certain information, let key people know that you have authorized an employee to collect the information. Send an e-mail to pave the way for your employee.

Provide feedback on results— Providing timely feedback on results is essential. The individual assigned the project should be recognized and applauded for successes. By the same token, failures must also be analyzed so that the reason(s) can be turned into opportunities for learning and risk avoidance. If you're not satisfied with the progress, don't immediately take the project back. Continue to work with the employee and ensure they perceive the project as their responsibility.