Every day I see overworked business owners or managers desperate to delegate some of their more routine work to subordinates. However, they express fear that the delegated tasks will not get completed in the manner they expect, or that their subordinates are not capable of performing the work. This fear leads the managers to fret and fume about the problem, but the situation doesn’t change.
How does a manager go about delegating work to subordinates and be assured that the work will be accomplished in the proper manner? Let’s base our answer on the assumption that there are individuals in the organization with the skills and competence to accomplish the task. If you are unsure of this assumption, I would give the best qualified person a trial period, and adjust from that point after the evaluation.
In order to delegate a task, you have to clearly define the task. I’ve found that no matter how well everyone thinks they know what is to be done, it helps to put it in writing. This step avoids the follow up issues when the subordinate insists that he knew what was required without you having to tell him. A task defined in writing is less likely to be misunderstood.
As you define the task, think carefully about what outcome you expect. In what form will the results be displayed, and to whom will they be sent? How frequently will this task be performed? What level of computer or mathematical competency is necessary to complete the task?
Where will the inputs to the task come from, and in what form they will come. Will the inputs have to be heavily reviewed for accuracy; and will they come automatically without a request calling for them?
What do you expect to measure from the inputs? Are there parameters with which to measure the accuracy or validity of the results? The subordinate should be advised of these factors. It will allow him to verify the results before he passes them along to you. It is a waste of your time if a subordinate performs a task that will only give you an incorrect result.
Then we have to make the subordinate accountable for the work assigned to him. It is one thing to assign a task, and another to assign a task with the clear expectations of the results. By letting the subordinate understand the importance of the task and what decision will be made from the results, he will be more likely to take conscientious ownership of the work.
I have encouraged managers, when they receive a task report, to ask the subordinate what he thinks of the result. With this question you will build ownership in the work, and allow the subordinate to recognize the importance of his work. You will also gain some insight into the subordinate’s problems with the delegated task.
As you assign the task you should be making very clear what you expect from the work. Only the subordinate is responsible for the result. If he has problems producing an answer, he should be expected to immediately come to you with his problem. It doesn’t help to wait until an erroneous report is made to address the problems. If the subordinate is held responsible for the outcome of the task, he should have the responsibility to call out the problems which make his result inaccurate.
All of this preliminary work by the manager will take some time. If you want the task done correctly with little input from you, you have to be clear about your expectations and results. You have the choice of delegating in a slap-dash manner and getting sloppy results; or doing it right the first time and then being able to address other tasks with your “free” time. The choice is up to you.
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