What is Delegation?

When your business starts growing at a large speed, the tasks that you need to do
become more complex and different responsibilities among business members
become less defined. You need to do more and more things. Disorganization can
become a part of your everyday work.

The Importance of Delegation 

Delegation in leadership not only helps get things done, but it also empowers employees by giving
them greater autonomy. No leader can do all things at all times, and delegation is a key tool for
boosting team and organizational performance and efficiency.

Great leadership has many components, and delegation is an important factor for maximizing
employee contributions and increasing productivity among all members of a team.

Four reasons why delegation is essential for effective leadership.

Frees up Time

Achieving the right balance between the strategic and the tactical is important for any leader to be
effective, especially with the many demands on their time and attention. When leaders delegate
certain tasks to others, they become free to focus on higher-value activities and use their time more
productively. Delegation not only gives leaders time for strategic thinking, but it also allows them to
focus on other tasks that only they can perform, such as leading and coaching their teams.

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.
Tasks or decisions that are less important but urgent, such as responding to a routine request from
another 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 team.

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.

Supports New Skill Development

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

Delegate to Save time

Actually, time is one of the most valuable resources a company has in today’s world. Effective
delegation allows you the ability to maximize this that your company strives for – as they say, ‘Time
is Money’! As it decreases delays in achieving tasks, and it also decreases delays on those who are
waiting on you, as a manager, you are able to take more actions or make more decisions. Therefore,
an investment in the effective delegation process needs to be seen as an investment not only in your
people but also in the long term’s health and success of your association.

Increasing communication

Hierarchy between you and your team will diminish by delegating. They will notice that you brought
them to your level, which will make communication easier for you and them. In addition, explaining
tasks and sharing ideas together will lessen the distance between the team’s workers. You will all be
one unit doing its best for the benefit of all

Delegate to build An efficient team

By delegating, you give your team more confidence, making them feel important and letting them
show what they are capable of. This will result in appreciation you and appreciate themselves, which
will stimulate them, so they will work harder and become more dedicated to reaching their targets.
Delegation helps staff members to be more engaged as they feel that their managers trusted them
to succeed at the delegated tasks. They feel the urge to learn more and to work on their skills as
they are exposed to more challenges.

PRINCIPLES OF DELEGATION

Principle of Parity of Authority and Responsibility

According to this principle, the manager should keep a balance between authority and responsibility.
Both of them should go hand in hand. According to this principle, if a subordinate is given a
responsibility to perform a task, then at the same time he should be given enough independence
and power to carry out that task effectively. This principle also does not provide excessive authority
to the subordinate which at times can be misused by him. The authority should be given in such a
way which matches the task given to him. Therefore, there should be no degree of disparity
between the two.

Principle of result excepted

suggests that every manager before delegating the powers to the subordinate should be able to
clearly define the goals as well as results expected from them. The goals and targets should be
completely and clearly defined and the standards of performance should also be notified clearly. For
example, a marketing manager explains the salesmen regarding the units of sale to take place in a
particular day, say ten units a day have to be the target sales. While a marketing manger provides
these guidelines of sales, mentioning the target sales is very important so that the salesman can
perform his duty efficiently with a clear set of mind.

Principle of absolute responsibility

This says that the authority can be delegated but responsibility cannot be delegated by managers to
his subordinates which means responsibility is fixed. The manager at every level, no matter what is
his authority, is always responsible to his superior for carrying out his task by delegating the powers.
It does not means that he can escape from his responsibility. He will always remain responsible till
the completion of task.

Every superior is responsible for the acts of their subordinates and are accountable to their superior
therefore the superiors cannot pass the blame to the subordinates even if he has delegated certain
powers to subordinates example if the production manager has been given a work and the machine
breaks down. If repairmen is not able to get repair work done, production manager will be
responsible to CEO if their production is not completed.

Principle of Authority level

This principle suggests that a manager should exercise his authority within the
jurisdiction/framework given. The manager should be forced to consult their superiors with those
matters of which the authority is not given that means before a manager takes any important
decision, he should make sure that he has the authority to do that on the other hand, subordinate
should also not frequently go with regards to their complaints as well as suggestions to their
superior if they are not asked to do. This principle emphasizes on the degree of authority and the
level upto which it has to be maintained.

Implement Effective Delegation Process

Sort the tasks that can be delegated

You need to analyze and classify what should you continue to do, and what can be delegated. You
will not lose anything, because the most important tasks will stay in your full control, but the tasks
that are repeatable, easy to be done and still need to be done on one side, and something that’s not
so important for your attention can be delegated.

Determine who will be in charge

If you want to delegate some of your tasks, you need to have people who can work on delegated
tasks. Simply, find people who will be responsible for some of your current tasks.

Define the task that will be delegated

Before you delegate some of your tasks you need precisely to define that tasks. You don’t want to
work on unclear or poorly defined tasks. The same is for the person who will be in charge of that
task.
Delegate tasks

The delegation process is transferring the responsibility for the tasks from you to another person
through notifying that person. When you tell the person about what he needs to do, you need to tell
them your clear expectations. This will be helpful for the person in charge, especially if the delegated
task, until now, was only your responsibility.

Monitor and encourage

The delegation process doesn’t finish when you transfer the responsibility. You must follow the
implementation process. If there is a need for something, your responsibility is to encourage the
person in charge and give him adequate help.

Evaluation

The last step in a delegation process is your responsibility. You need to check how the delegated task
was performed. Should you make some changes to increase productivity in the future.

Obstacles of delegation On the part of the superior

The reasons for the reluctance of the superiors to delegate can be outlined as follows:

1. Lack of Liberal Attitude: Very often, the executives feel that they can do a job better and the
subordinates are not competent to perform the functions with the same degree of skill.

2. Desire of Dominance: Some managers feel that their subordinates shall learn too much and shall
soon compete with them and even outshine them. Therefore, they try to dominate the subordinates
at each step of work and thereby hampers the process of delegation.

3. Inability to Direct: Inability of the superior to issue suitable directions and guidance also creates
difficulties in the process of delegation.

4. Lack of Confidence: Superiors often lack confidence in their subordinates. Therefore, they are
reluctant to their reliance on their integrity and do not delegate.

5. Absence of Controls: When the executives have no means of knowing the serious difficulties in the
working of the department in advance, they may hesitate to delegate the authority.
Advantages of Delegation

Best Use of Human Resource –Proper delegation means effective use of work force. Task assigned
keeping in mind the skills of an employee often gives good results.

More Time – Effective Delegating Skills work gives managers extra time to do other work that are of
more critical nature.

Speeds up Decision Making – Empowering subordinates to take decisions in their area of expertise
speeds up the work process as they don’t have to seek approval at every step.

Builds Team Spirit – Working together generates team spirit, develops team involvement and
understanding of the business.

Improves Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Communication – Employees through daily interaction get
opportunities to learn from each other and reflect on their own work.

Inflow of New and Innovative Ideas – Different ideas and perspectives inspire people to see things
from a different angle, motivate them to explore other areas of development and keep them
engaged.

Helps Build Bench Strength – The work environment trains and prepares the employees to face
adverse situations so that the work does not get hindered under any circumstances.

Disadvantages of Delegation

Lack of Knowledge of Employees Skills –Wrong delegation of task can prove fatal for a project and
business.

Lack of Trust – Many managers either lack trust or do not want to trust their subordinates. They try
to do everything themselves due to which their work pressure never gets eased out.

Lack of Interest – Managers who keep the interesting work to themselves and assign routine and
monotonous to others give rise of discontentment and disengagement.

Lack of Credit – When multiple people work on a single project the credit of the work often gets
distributed. The true contribution of each person is at times not recognized.

Lack of Authority – It is also important to delegate sufficient authority along with responsibility. Only
then can employees work their full potential.