Five Levels Of Delegation

Five Levels of Delegation Wednesday, 5 August 2009 4:22 AM

Five Levels of Delegation ------------------------------------------------------------How to Use Five Levels of Delegation to Improve Your Management Results

Why Newer Managers Face Challenges with Delegation Many newer managers face a learning curve regarding delegation. After some time, starting when they were teenagers, they have been the recipients, not the initiators, of delegated tasks. Delegation is a learned talent, not typically an inherent one. As you become more experienced, you do inherently realize that there are different types of delegation. Depending on your choices, some work better for you than others. Yet, there are few educational resources focused on delegation, its levels, and how to use them effectively. Why not consider this “Delegation Levels 101”? First, understand why the seemingly simple act of delegation often poses a challenge to you. Except for those few people who were simply lucky and in the right place at the right time, most people earned their elevation to management. Be honest. Despite your Oscar-winning “Thank You’s” to your supervisors, your co-workers, your company, and all the “little people” for helping you receive an invitation to the management fraternity, you know you earned this promotion through your intelligence and hard work. As you are then faced with the ability – and responsibility – to delegate tasks to others, you sometimes develop a natural reluctance for at least two reasons: 1. Your performance and career will now be judged, not only on your individual performance, but the success of the team you manage.

2. You may have understandable feelings that no one does it (whatever “it” is) as well as you do. That’s why you earned the p romotion in the first place. Many people lack confidence that they can translate their approach and achievement to others, who may or may not have the same level of motivation or dedication that helped you achieve. Obviously, you must overcome this barrier to succeed as a manager. But, understand that these feelings are natural and can be overcome with repetition and practice. Once you accomplish this goal, you should realize that not all delegation is equal. For example, delegating a team member to deliver the day’s mail to you is quite different than delegating a major component of an important project to another member of your team. These are obviously far different levels of delegation that carry a wide variety of rewards, risks, and consequences. Understanding the different levels of delegation should help you perform better as a manager. Use Different Delegation Levels to Improve Management Performance 1st Level – Please Just Do What I Ask Much like sticking your toes in the water before diving into the ocean, this first level, which is the simplest, can be the most difficult. This simple act of “letting go” can be the most challenging psychologically. Yet, it is primarily without risk to your standards o r preferences. 2nd Level – Research It and Then I’ll Decide This step is the first real expression of a level of trust in your team members. Allowing them to compile the data necessary to make a decision is your first true “letting go” action. Allowing your team members to prepare the data upon which you’ll make a fina l decision indicates your trust in staff and a willingness to depend on others to collect the information you need. 3rd Level – Research It and We’ll Discuss It and I’ll Make a Decision Permitting your employees to investigate and then support their conclusions is a major – and intelligent – way to delegate successfully. You are now acting more like a judge in court rather than a dictator in a small country. Allowing your staff to research and collect data and then orally discuss their conclusions, you may be starting develop future superstars for your company. 4th Level – Research It, Evaluate It, and Suggest Action – Then I’ll Decide You’ve now reached an upper level of trust and delegation. You’ve given your staff the authority to, not only discuss their research, but suggest a course of action as a result of that investigation. You have now become more than a rookie judge, but ascended to Superior or Appellate Court justice. You still make the final decision, but your choice will be almost totally based on the “arguments” p ut forth by your trusted employees.

5th Level – Research It, Evaluate It, Suggest Action, and Then You Decide (Be Sure to Tell Me First) Now you’ve done it. You’ve reached the level of delegation expert. You have the confidence in your team – and yourself – to delegate important tasks to others, permit not only investigation and evaluation, but action suggestion and permission to make decisions without your intervention. Sure, you still want to be informed before the action is taken, but now that is more communication than co ntrol. Understand these levels of delegation and use them to improve your management performance. Obviously, you need competent and trustworthy team members to allow you to become a master delegator. This combination of understanding and trust can accelerat e your management career track.

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