The Power of Delegation

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 How to get others to do
your work, so you can
get on to what you’re
really supposed to be
doing….

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 Delegation

“The act of delegating, or investing with authority to act

for another” (dictionary.com)

“The distribution of responsibility and authority to others

while holding them accountable for their performance” (
lawsoncg.com)

“Delegation is giving others the authority to act on your

behalf accompanied with responsibility and
accountability for results”

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 So, is this effective delegation….

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 Why Delegate…your TIME is the most
important resource

• Provides more time to focus on the “important”

• Reduces your workload and stress level
• More time to plan for better projects
• More time for productive work – better results
• More time to generate work/ business/ processes
• Helps avoid the firefighting situation
• You can accomplish a lot more with effective
delegation

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 Why Delegate….team members are
important

• Builds trust & understanding among team members

• Broadens opportunities for other team members
• Empowers others to contribute & make good decisions
• To allow everyone to feel a part of the effort and the
success
• Group members feel more committed
if they have a role and feel needed

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 Why delegate…avoiding dependency
• To use skills and resources already within the group
• To keep from burning out a few leaders
• To develop new leaders and build new skills within
the group
• To prevent the group from getting too
dependent on one or two leaders
• To get things done in a timely manner

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 Consequences of NOT/poor delegating
• Poor productivity
• Work stress resulting in further loss of efficiency
• Time shortage for doing the important things
• No time for planning/ business growth/ skill
enhancement
• No new learning/ development
resulting in organizational stagnancy
• Manager/ leaders become tired out

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 Consequences of NOT/poor delegating
• Information/ decision-making not shared by group
• When leaders leave groups, no one has experience
to carry on
• Group morale becomes low and people become
frustrated and feel powerless
• The skills and knowledge of the group/organization
are concentrated in a few people
• New members don’t find any ways to contribute to
the work of the group

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Connect: skgupta1408@gmail.com Sanjay Gupta
Connect: skgupta1408@gmail.com Sanjay Gupta
 Needs in Delegation

You must believe in the people you

TRUST
delegate to

You must be honest with them in what

HONESTY
your expectations are

You must clearly articulate what needs to

COMMUNICATION
be done

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 Delegation – Important Aspects

•• What
Whattasks
tasksam amI Icurrently
currentlyresponsible
responsiblefor? for?
•• What
Whattasks
tasksshould
shouldI Idelegate?
delegate?(see (seebelow
belowtotoassess)
assess)
•• Who
Who is the most effective person to get this taskdone?
is the most effective person to get this task done?
•• What
Whatexpectations
expectationswill willI Ihave
havefor
forthe
thecompletion
completionofofthis
thistask?
task?
•• How
HowwillwillI Iknow
knowwhen
whenthethejob jobisiscompleted
completedcorrectly?
correctly?How
Howwill
willI Ievaluate
evaluate
this
thisperson
person

••How
Howwill
willI Iselect
selectto
towhom
whomI Iwill
willdelegate?
delegate?
••How
Howwill
willI Iinform
informmymyexpectations
expectationsofofthe
theproject
projectto
tothis
thisperson?
person?
••Follow
Followup
upwithwiththe
theindividual
individualand
andask
askthem
themto
tocoordinate
coordinatethethetask/project.
task/project.

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 Delegation – Important Aspects

••Make
Makeyourself
yourselfavailable
availableshould
shouldthe
theperson
personhave
havequestions.
questions.
••Strengthen
Strengthenthethelines
linesof
ofcommunication
communicationby byreminding
remindingyour
yourpeers
peersthat
thatthey
they
can
cancome
cometotoyou
youwith
withany
anyquestions
questionsyou
youmay
mayhave.
have.
••IfIfyou
you do not have the answers to their questions,be
do not have the answers to their questions, besure
sureto
tomake
makeyour
your
members
membersaware
awareof ofother
otherpeople
peoplethey
theycan
cancontact
contactfor
for

••Follow
Followthrough
throughwith
withyour
yourexpectations.
expectations.
••Praise
Praisewhen
whenaajob
jobisiswell-done.
well-done.Address
Addressmistakes
mistakesininaaproactive
proactivemanner
manner
using
usingconstructive
constructivecriticism.
criticism.
••Evaluate
Evaluatethe
theprocess.
process.DidDidthe
thejob
jobget
getdone?
done?What
Whatcancanwe
wedodobetter
betterininthe
the
future?
future?

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 Delegation – Important Aspects
The most difficult part of the four-step process is
assessing the current situation. Too often, managers/
leaders are reluctant to delegate work to other people,
for fear that things won't get done the right way.

As a manager/leader, you must keep in mind that

sometimes you will have to sacrifice your ideas when
others are delegated projects. As long as the quality of
work is acceptable, try to avoid being critical of others.

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 When do you delegate
• When somebody else is trained more than you in a particular
area (typing etc.)
• When you don't have the time to handle your other
responsibilities effectively
• When planning takes more time than implementing
• When an individual has approached you with willingness to
help out on a specific project
• When someone can develop themselves by taking on a
challenging task

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 Your delegation skills need improvement
if….
• You are regularly putting in extra hours on tasks
“only you can do”
• You are not confident of your direct reports’
decisions and rework their assigned tasks
• You intervene in projects assigned to others
• Group morale is low and turnover is high
• Your inbox is always filled to capacity

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Connect: skgupta1408@gmail.com Sanjay Gupta
 Roadblocks to delegation
• I can do it better myself/ nobody can do it as good as I can
• I can’t trust my peer/colleague/subordinate
• I don’t have time to involve others/ it takes too much time
• I can’t delegate something I don’t know how to do myself
• I can’t bring myself to delegating busy work
• I can’t delegate to my friends
• Everyone is already busy/ nobody else has any time either

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 Steps in Delegation
I Introduce the task

D Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done

E Ensure understanding

A Allocate authority, information & resources

L Let go

S Support and monitor

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 Step
Step 11

Introduce the Task

• Determine task to be delegated
• Determine tasks to retain
• Select delegate

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 Step
Step 11

Introduce the Task

• Determine task to be • • Those

Thosetasks
tasksyou
youcompleted
completed
delegated prior
priortotoassuming
assumingnew newrole
role
• • Those
Thosetasks
tasksyour
yourdelegates
delegates
• Determine tasks to
have
havemore
moreexperience
experiencewith
with
retain • • Routine
Routineactivities
activities
• Select delegate • • Those
Thosethings
thingsnot
notininyour
yourcore
core
competency
competency

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 Step
Step 11

Introduce the Task

• Determine task to be
delegated • • Supervision
Supervisionofofsubordinates
subordinates
• • Long-term
Long-termplanning
planning
• Determine tasks to • • Tasks
Tasksonly
onlyyou
youcan
cando
do
retain • • Assurance
Assuranceofofprogram
programcompliance
compliance
• Select delegate • • Dismissal
Dismissalofof
volunteers/members/parents,
volunteers/members/parents,etc.etc.

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 Step
Step 11

Introduce the Task

• Determine task to be
• •Look
Lookatatindividual
individual
delegated strengths/weaknesses
strengths/weaknesses
• Determine tasks to • •Determine
Determineinterest
interestareas
areas
retain • •Determine
Determineneedneedfor
fordevelopment
development
ofofdelegate
delegate
• Select delegate

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 Step
Step 11

Introduce the Task

Use What-Why Statements:

I want you to do this (WHAT)….. Because (WHY)

you……

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 Step
Step 11
THINK….Can you

Brainstorm 5 tasks you are currently

doing that could be delegated.
Determine who would serve as your
best delegate for each of the tasks.

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 Step
Step 22

Demonstrate Clearly

• Show examples of previous work

• Explain objectives
• Discuss timetable, set deadlines

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 Step
Step 33

Ensuring Understanding

• Clear communication
• Ask for clarification
• Secure commitment
• Don’t say no for them
• Collaboratively determine
methods for follow-up

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 Step
Step 44
Allocate…
authority, information, resources
• Grant authority to determine process,
not desired outcomes
• Provide access to all information sources
• Refer delegate to contact persons or specific
resources that have assisted previously
• Provide appropriate training to
ensure success

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 Step
Step 55

Let go…

• Communicate delegate’s authority

• Step back, let them work
• Use constrained access
• Don’t allow for reverse delegation

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 Step
Step 66

Support and Monitor

• Schedule follow-up meetings

• Review progress
• Assist, when requested
• Avoid interference
• Publicly praise progress and completion
• Encourage problem solving

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 Step
Step 66

Support and Monitor

When the assignment is complete:
• Ask the employee how it went.
• Provide positive reinforcement for work done
well.
• Use ongoing coaching or training as necessary.
• Seek employees’ input on their interests for
future projects.

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 Guidelines for Delegating
• Be clear about what you want done, when it
should be done, and the expected results
• Delegate both tedious and interesting tasks
• Be prepared to do some coaching if needed
• Monitor progress (schedule dates) and
provide feedback
• Keep lines of communication open,
to be available as a resource

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 Guidelines for Delegating
• Build a shared sense of responsibility among the
team
• Focus on results, not on how tasks should be
accomplished
• Develop trust in less-skilled staff by providing
structured assignments
• Develop strong performers by assigning projects with
high visibility

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Connect: skgupta1408@gmail.com Sanjay Gupta
 Assigning the Work
• Match the right person with the task
• Clearly describe the task or project and how it
fits into the big picture
• Identify roles and responsibilities for the work
• Discuss deadlines and resources
• Establish standards of performance and
accountability

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 Delegation (De)stressors
Loss of control?
If you train your subordinates to apply the same criteria
as you would yourself, then they will be exercising
your control on your behalf.

However, the authority which you hold in the firm, the

level of work you do and the value you add in the
process is always recognized….your controlling
powers actually enhance.

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 Delegation (De)stressors

Too much time spent on explaining tasks?

The amount of time spent up front is, in fact, great.

But, continued use of delegation may free you up to

complete more complex tasks and/or
gain you more time for yourself
resulting in better productivity and
more time for yourself

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 Delegation (De)stressors
Compromising your own value?
Because the work is delegated to peers/ colleagues,
your value in the firm gets compromised.

By successfully utilizing appropriate delegation, your

value to the group/organization will grow
at a greater rate as you will have more
time to do more things…….

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 And, finally…..

“The secret of success is not in doing your

own work but in recognizing the right
[person] to do it.” ~Andrew Carnegie

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 Happy delegating!
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 Sanjay Gupta

skgupta1408@gmail.com
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+91 9810704726

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