Delegation

Delegation involves the assignment of new responsibilities to

subordinates and additional authority to carry them out.
Varieties of Delegation
• There is LITTLE or NO DELEGATION for someone who must ask he
boss what to do when there is a problem.
• There is MODERATE DELEGATION when the subordinate is allowed to
determine what to do but he must get approval before implementing
decisions.
• There is SUBSTATIAL DELEGATION when the subordinate is allowed to
make important decisions an implement them without getting
approval.
Potential Advantages of Delegation
• Improvement of decision making.
• Greater subordinate commitment to implement decisions effectively.
• Increase satisfaction of the employees.
• Important form of time management for a manager who is
overloaded with responsibilities.
• Effective method of management development.
Reasons for lack of delegation
• Strong need for power, insecurity, a high need for achievement, and
difficulty in forming relationships.
• Allowing a subordinate to demonstrate competence in performing
managerial responsibilities may create a competitor for the manager’s
job.
• Biases in perception of one’s own performance.
• Characteristics of the subordinates such as task expertise and shared
objectives.
• Lack of leader authority to make decisions or change how the work is
done limits the potential for delegation.
What to delegate?
• Delegate tasks that are urgent but not high priority.
• Delegate tasks relevant to a subordinate’s career.
• Delegate tasks of appropriate difficulty.
• Delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks.
• Delegate tasks not central to the manager’s role.
How to delegate?
• Specify responsibilities clearly.
• Provide adequate authority and specify limits of discretion.
• Specify reporting requirements.
• Ensure subordinate acceptance of responsibilities.
How to manage delegation?
• Inform others who need to know.
• Monitor progress in appropriate ways.
• Arrange for the subordinate to receive necessary information.
• Provide support and assistance, but avoid reverse delegation.
• Make mistakes a learning experience.