Delegation

Effectively Using Delegation to Develop Others

Graphics courtesy of ForbesOpens in new window One of the characteristics of an effective leader is the ability to grow the talent of others by providing them “stretch opportunities.” Delegation of meaningful tasks and projects is an effective way to both increase the competencies of others and grow themselves as a leader.

Delegation is a relatively simple way for leaders to free themselves from time-consuming chores, give direct reports developmental opportunities, and increase the number of tasks accomplished by a work group or team.

Delegation provides direct reports with learning opportunities and multiplies the leader’s accomplishments (Anonymous, 1978). It also increases latitude and freedom for direct reports. Delegation is more concerned with autonomy, responsibility, and direct report development than with participation. Leaders who delegate skillfully often have more satisfied direct reports than leaders who do not delegate well.

Why Is Delegating Important?

You will almost never hear the word leadership without hearing the word delegate close behind. That’s because delegation is key for leadership and growth. Leaders have some work that they need to do, but their primary job is to make sure that others are doing what they have been assigned to accomplish the organization’s mission and goals.

Effective leaders know what responsibilities to delegate to allow themselves time to plan, to collaborate with others in the organization, and to monitor the performance of their direct reports, making sure to give them adequate feedback and development opportunities.

In the end, delegation is an important factor for maximizing employee contributions and increasing productivity among all members of a work group or team. Here are some reasons why delegation is important for effective leadership.

1.     Delegation Frees Up Time for Other Activities

The essence of leadership is achieving goals through others, not trying to accomplish them by oneself.

Learning to be an effective leader partly involves developing a frame of mind wherein the leader thinks in terms of the whole group or team or organization’s capabilities and not just their own.

Given how many responsibilities contemporary leaders typically have they invariably must delegate some of them to others if they are going to be able to achieve the right balance between the strategic and the tactical.

It is not just the quantity of work that makes delegation necessary. There is a qualitative aspect, too. Because leaders determine what responsibilities will be delegated, the process is one by which leaders can ensure that time is allocated most judiciously to meet group or team needs.

The leader’s time is a precious commodity that should be invested wisely in those activities that the leader is uniquely suited or situated to accomplish and that will provide the greatest long-term benefits to the group or team. What the leader can delegate, the leader should delegate.

2.     Delegation Encourages the Prioritization of Tasks

Delegation starts with determining which tasks can be delegated and which can’t. Prioritizing tasks helps leaders determine the most critical items to be delegated, and who should perform them.

One tool for developing a prioritization system for delegation is the urgent vs. important matrixOpens in new window. Using this matrix, leaders can categorize tasks based on their time sensitivity and importance.

Tasks or decisions that are less important but urgent, such as responding to a routine request from another work group or team, can probably be delegated. Tasks that are both highly important and urgent might also be candidates for delegation as well, but perhaps to a more experienced member of the work group or team.

3.     Delegation Empowers Employees

Delegation empowers employees by enabling them to demonstrate their capability to take on new work. When individuals step outside of their typical day-to-day activities and have the chance to take on new tasks or get involved in decision-making, they become more invested in the outcome of their delegated responsibilities.

Delegation helps employees recognize their importance to the work group or team, which fosters a deeper sense of commitment and engagement. Leaders can build a sense of empowerment among employees by delegating in areas such as:

4.     Delegation Encourages Creativity and Innovation

Delegation promotes an “inclusive” culture where more people can think about different ways to solve a problem or issue.

A work group or team, instead of just one person working on a task, provides different points of view. This setup allows people to more easily come up with a number of more creative or unique ways to address the project at hand. New methods of doing a task or activity may also be discovered, leading to an increased efficiency and productivity of a team.

5.     Delegation Supports New Skill Development

Delegation builds new skills among leaders and their direct reports. It gets newer leaders, for example, into a rhythm of accepting responsibility for outcomes without feeling that they must take on every single task themselves.

When leaders learn how to delegate effectively, they are building competency in setting expectations, providing feedbackOpens in new window, and ensuring accountability in others.

For individuals who have responsibilities delegated to them, they have opportunities to learn a new process or interact with team members they might not deal with normally. These new experiences help them build skills in areas such as project managementOpens in new window, teamworkOpens in new window, and communicationOpens in new window.

Delegation involves more than just doling out tasks to other members of the team. Effective leaders carefully consider what to delegate and to whom, and understand how delegation makes their team more effective.

Leadership development is a great way to teach leaders how to leverage delegation for improved productivity, empowered employees, and skill-building.

6.     Delegation Strengthens the Organization

Delegation is an important way to develop individual direct reports, but doing so also strengthens the entire organization. By delegating certain tasks to direct reports in the organization, leaders achieve a sense of commitment in their organization. That is, organizations that use delegation skillfully will be a motivating one to work.

Delegation sends an organizational signal that direct reports are trusted and their development is important. Moreover, skillful delegation inherently tends to increase the significance and satisfaction levels of most jobs, thus making direct reports’ jobs better. Employees who accept authority and accountability during delegation have a better sense of shared responsibility and a stronger commitment to the organization’s success.

Skillful delegation by leaders is a way of developing the entire organization, not just the individuals within it. To the extent that a whole organization systematically develops its employees using delegation, its overall experience level, capability, and vitality increase. As noted earlier, delegation stimulates innovation and generates fresh ideas and new approaches throughout the whole organization.

7.     Delegation Is Important for Leadership Succession

Tied to the importance of delegation in strengthening the organization is the fact that when leaders delegate, they allow people to step in and acquire other skills that are valuable to the organization.

Delegating can be a way of training and developing employees in the organization to perform jobs other than their routine tasks. When the time comes that a leader may be promoted or leave the organization, they are sure that other people know how to do the tasks because they have delegated it to them a number of times.