Welcome back! As promised, this week we are starting the series of articles on ‘how to delegate’ which so many of you had requested.

To start off this series of articles on how to delegate, my Canadian colleague Dr. Brad McCrae – director of the Atlantic Leadership Development Institute – has provided the important article below. Some of you already know from an earlier article by Dr. McCrae that he is a formidable leader, public speaker, trainer and author. His three books: The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters, The Seven Strategies of Master Negotiators, and The Seven Strategies of Master Leaders, are first class and I thoroughly recommend all of them.

Next time (June 7), we’ll be looking at a tool which can help you monitor the progress and success of your delegation efforts in an effective and efficient manner. Join us then!

MIND THE GAP
Dr. Brad McCrae

The Mind the Gap sign is ubiquitous on the London Underground. It reminds its passengers to be careful of the gap between the station and the train carriages which make up one of the most famous underground systems in the world. These days, Mind the Gap has also come to represent the gap between the vast number of baby boomers who are starting to retire and the smaller generation of Gen X and Gen Y who will be replacing them. As more and more baby boomers retire, we will have three people to do the work which is currently done by six people. Therefore we have to accelerate the development of the next generation of leaders and managers. For this, appropriate delegation is one of the best tools we have available.

However, there is a further gap that needs to be filled. This is the gap between what we would like to accomplish and what we actually do get accomplished. Appropriate delegation of tasks means that we can do higher value work and develop the people who report to us at the same time – which results in a double win.

There is a major difference between delegating work to subordinates and assigning work to subordinates. Most managers have great difficulty in effectively delegating work to others because they feel it means giving up control. Therefore many managers resort to assigning both the ‘what to do’ as well as the ‘how to do it’. This type of management behaviour only serves to undermine a subordinate’s performance. Without the challenge of the job and the participation in the decision-making process related to job responsibilities, a subordinate will not be driven to perform at a high level.

True delegation is defined as the transfer of job responsibility and job authority to the subordinate, allowing the latter to maximise his or her potential. As the following diagram illustrates, there is a transfer of control from the manager to the subordinate when both the ‘what to do’ as well as the ‘how to do it’ are delegated.

Performance Management is enhanced when a manager practices effective delegation. This implies that the manager and subordinate establish mutually-agreed upon performance objectives. Then the subordinate is given the appropriate amount of authority to achieve what is expected of him or her. By using a systematic approach, such as using the form we will be offering you in the next article in this series, you will be able to develop the habit of effective and efficient delegation.