The most common delegation mistakes are: Problems in implementing delegation and their solutions. Clear presentation of rewards

With the help of this article, you will be able to effectively manage your team using the “teach - treat - kill” principle, change your approach to delegating tasks by checking the results of a simple test, and cope with employee manipulation by abandoning four stop phrases.

The commercial director regularly receives assignments from the company's top management, plans the work of employees, and communicates with clients. To cope with a huge flow of information and develop a business, it is important to manage time rationally and not waste energy on routine matters. To do this, you need to correctly delegate tasks to subordinates and monitor their implementation. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the commercial director will be reduced to zero. (table). Which two errors in delegation and team management interfere with work?

Best article of the month

If you do everything yourself, employees will not learn how to work. Subordinates will not immediately cope with the tasks that you delegate, but without delegation you are doomed to time trouble.

We have published in this article a delegation algorithm that will help you free yourself from routine and stop working around the clock. You will learn who can and cannot be entrusted with work, how to correctly assign a task so that it is completed, and how to supervise personnel.

Delegation Mistake 1: You Tolerate Weak Employees

Problem. Many managers are forced to quickly hire workers to fill staffing gaps. They compromise, thinking: “Someone has to work, and in the process the person will learn.” As a result, a newcomer who finds it difficult to adapt performs assignments poorly. Unfortunately, this is a path that leads to serious problems and a sign of a bad leader.

The other side of the problem: the manager does not fire old employees who do not work well, but constantly press for pity. They refer to life difficulties, such as paying off a mortgage. You cannot rely on such people; you have to redo the work for them. But they remain in the state.

Solution. To avoid these problems, adhere to the principle of “teach - treat - wet”.

Whom to “teach”? This stage is for new employees. When you teach newbies the basics of working in a company, not all of them retain the information well. Reason: subordinates do not understand the specifics of the business. To avoid wasting time on those who are incapable, carefully select people during interviews.

When meeting, do not look only at the resume, but find out the candidate’s opinion about the company’s work. For example, has he visited the store and what he thinks about the training of salespeople. Or find out if he has studied the organization’s website and social media pages. This way you will understand whether the person has prepared for the interview. In addition, you will see whether the candidate understands the specifics of your business. If not, there is no point in hiring such an employee. He will delve into the nuances for a long time and will not show results. If he understands, he will learn quickly, even if he has no experience. Finally, regardless of the outcome of the interview, you will receive an outside opinion about the company's performance.

Let me give you an example. A year ago, at almost the same time, I was interviewing two candidates for different positions. The first applicant, with extensive work experience, considered herself a professional. I took her on the team to quickly fill the vacancy. The second one really wanted to work, and I hired her, despite her lack of experience and youth. As a result, the first employee quit within a month after a scandal, and the second successfully completed all tasks and is still working.

How to treat". This stage is for employees who cannot cope with their responsibilities after training. For example, they regularly fail to complete tasks on time. Tell these managers what you don't like about their work. Ask about the reasons for failure. Explain: this level does not suit you, and the problem will have to be resolved by dismissal. It happens that an employee does not understand what they want from him. This is an objective reason. In such a situation, go over the task in detail with your subordinate once or twice. If the employee does not improve results even after “educational conversations,” assign a probationary period of one month and look for a replacement.

One of my employees was regularly late for meetings. I had to further explain the task to him. When I asked about the reasons, I did not hear a clear answer. I warned: if the employee does not stop being late in the next month, I will fire him. At the same time, he began to look for a replacement, realizing that such an unnecessary person was unlikely to improve. The employee also began to look for another job because he did not want to change his habits. A month later he left the company.

How to overcome sales obstacles and close more deals

When to “get wet”. This last and shortest stage is for employees who do not perform work even after “educational conversations”. Fire them without regret. Don't leave a bad employee on the team just because you haven't found another one. Otherwise, in an unforeseen situation, he will drag the team to the bottom.

Inexperienced bosses are afraid of conflict and do not tell employees that they are looking for a replacement. Therefore, employees are outraged when they unexpectedly learn about dismissal. To avoid such situations, warn your subordinates that you plan to hire another person.

Often, employees cite difficult circumstances and ask to avoid dismissal. But if complaints about life do not stop, and work is still worthwhile, I advise you to part with your ineffective subordinate. Such an employee will not be able to work well.

For example, I delayed for a long time the dismissal of a person who chronically failed to cope with his responsibilities and at the same time constantly complained about family difficulties. Two months later, this employee disrupted the start of a major television advertising campaign. If I had fired him earlier, I would have avoided trouble.

Loss of work enthusiasm: how to resist demotivation of employees

Error in delegation 2. You work for your subordinates

Problem. Often employees shift the solution of their own problems to the manager. This is reverse delegation. For example, you entrusted a new project to a subordinate. A week later he reports that he can’t cope and asks for help. You join the task - and at this moment you relieve the employee of responsibility. As a result, you put off solving your own problems. Waste time on work that was assigned to someone else, and also pay money for it. This common difficulty is a sign of a bad leader.

Signs of manipulation. You are experiencing reverse delegation if:

working on unscheduled tasks that were assigned to subordinates;
regularly receive requests for help from employees;
you don’t do your own work due to lack of time;
often say the phrases: “I’ll help”, “I’ll figure it out”, “I’ll call”, “I’ll think about how to help you”, etc.

Solution. If an employee reports that he is unable to complete an assignment and asks for help, say in response: “I don’t know what to do. Offer a solution." Instead of taking responsibility, hand the problem back to a subordinate. The employee will understand that the manager cannot be manipulated and will figure it out on his own.

To avoid this mistake in delegation, help the subordinate only in truly difficult cases. But don't do the work for him. Divide one difficult task into several easier ones. If an employee fails to complete these instructions, the reason is his unwillingness to work. In such a situation, look for a replacement.

Example. Recently, an employee asked for help preparing a complex report. I didn't waste time explaining. I instructed him to collect data, study document templates from other employees, and draw up graphs. For each stage, he set deadlines of a day or two and demanded interim reports. Three days later, the employee provided all the necessary information. I was shown how to collate and analyze the information, and received a report the same day. As a result, he spent a minimum of personal time, and the subordinate learned to solve problems on his own.

Effective management team: three recommendations from Brian Tracy

Result

The time and effort spent on selecting and training a team pays off. You will be able to focus on the truly important tasks and delegate the turnover to employees. Previously, I spent 30% of my time working with subordinates every day, but after we eliminated errors in delegation of authority, this takes up 5% of the working day.

Let's list and analyze some typical mistakes that managers make when delegating authority. It should be noted that in the organization, their understanding helped them develop their own delegation style and understand how it could be improved. Thus, for some managers it became a revelation that it is not at all necessary to “put pressure” on an obstinate subordinate who does not want to fulfill the duty assigned to him, bringing down the full power of managerial powers on the employee, and delegate this task to another, more accommodating employee or rush to complete it yourself. The way out of such a situation is as follows: convince the employee of the need to solve the task and show the benefits that he personally, as well as the department and the organization, will receive from his successful performance of this function.

In addition, typical mistakes managers make when delegating authority are as follows:

1. Inability to instruct. How the subordinate understands the instructions determines whether he will cope with the task. Conducting a briefing demonstrates the significance and importance of the assigned task, sets the employee up for a serious, responsible attitude towards it, and eliminates the possibility of citing the fact that he was not properly informed and therefore does not know how to perform the task.

2. Fictitious delegation. This is a situation when those tasks, functions and powers that subordinates already have by virtue of their job responsibilities are transferred. The manager needs to know them well. Otherwise, one can hardly talk seriously about the organization of work in such a team.

3. Error in choosing the object of delegation. Usually it becomes a consequence of the boss’s focus not on business, but on individuals. Even experienced specialists are not immune from this mistake, but compliance with the rules of delegation will reduce the likelihood and consequences of this error to a minimum.

4. Delegation of functions and powers to a group of employees without indicating individual responsibility. Only by clearly distributing it can you get a positive result. In a group, there is almost always a risk of shifting obligations from one performer to another.

5. Fear of “losing your authority.” If the manager does not fully possess any knowledge, it is better for him to consult a specialist. This will not cause a strong blow to authority, but, on the contrary, will allow the manager to expand his professional experience and acquire new knowledge and skills.

6. Delegating the unifying function of leadership to subordinates is the most serious mistake in delegation. After all, it is the boss who must constantly monitor the current state of the delegated tasks and, if necessary, correct the results of the work of the employee to whom certain powers have been delegated, since the main coordinator of activities is the manager.

Thus, delegation can be an effective way to motivate staff. In addition, it allows the manager to find out the abilities of subordinates, determine their level of qualifications, and identify potential opportunities. Finally, delegation helps free up time for strategic tasks without losing sight of other responsibilities and tasks.

In conclusion, we note that delegation is not a way to evade responsibility, but a form of division of managerial labor that makes it possible to increase its efficiency. This process makes the manager’s work easier, but does not relieve him of the responsibility to make final decisions and bear full responsibility for them.

Conclusion

The professionalism of a manager is determined by the ability to work with people, the skills of distributing responsibilities, and using people for joint decision-making. In modern management, it is considered good form if a manager can safely go on vacation, get sick, or go on business trips. If management is carried out on the basis of delegation of authority, i.e. distribution of responsibilities, then even in the direct absence of the boss, the organization continues to function effectively.

Control- this is a complex, continuous process that involves performing the following functions: planning, organizing activities, motivation and control. The implementation of management functions is aimed at achieving efficient operation of the enterprise.

Based on the research, the following conclusions can be drawn:

We studied the essence of the concepts of “delegation” and “personnel management”. Delegation of authority is the primary process by which managers establish formal relationships among people in an organization. Through delegation and tasks, managers select people for jobs and decide which of them will work, entering into a superior-subordinate relationship.

We studied the basic processes of delegation of authority. Delegation processes play a key role in the implementation of organizational functions. The concept of delegation refers to the transfer of tasks and powers to a person who assumes responsibility for their implementation. The process of delegation is often seen as the core of all management activities, since it is directly related to solving the main task of management - “getting the work done by others”;

- Gave an assessment of the relevance of delegation of authority. After conducting a survey, we analyzed the data and understood how to effectively delegate powers in the real estate agency “Colosseum 58” and identified the main mistakes;

- We identified the organization of the delegation process. Today, a manager is not able to single-handedly solve all emerging management problems, even those directly within the scope of his official duties, since there are too many of them, they are diverse and specific, and his knowledge, experience and available time are limited. Therefore, while retaining the development of strategy, control and general management, he temporarily or permanently delegates the solution of less significant problems, the rights necessary for this to subordinates who have knowledge, experience, are interested in taking part in management and voluntarily accept responsibility for the assigned work. They are given specific goals and objectives and given the opportunity to take initiative in finding solutions ;

- Studied the main problems of delegation and ways to solve them;

We developed recommendations for the effectiveness of delegation of authority and identified the basic principles: start with the end goal, delegation should be comprehensive, invite the employee to take part in considering the issue of delegation of authority, establish a priority between rights and responsibilities, work within the existing organizational structure, provide adequate support when performing a task, pay special attention to responsibility for the results of work, delegation of authority must be carried out consistently, avoid returning delegation of authority, explain to employees what prospects the solution of the task contains.

Identify the manager’s mistakes when delegating authority. Delegation can be an effective way to motivate staff. In addition, it allows the manager to find out the abilities of subordinates, determine their level of qualifications, and identify potential opportunities. Finally, delegation helps free up time for strategic tasks without losing sight of other responsibilities and tasks.

Gradov A.P. Marketing as a strategy for entrepreneurial activity.: M. - 2007.

Methodology: M.-2008

Akulich I.L., Demchenko E.V. Fundamentals of Marketing. – 2nd ed., rev. – M.:

Higher school, 2011.

Basovsky L.E. Marketing: Course of lectures: M-2011.

Kibanov A.Ya. Personnel Management. M.: 2008

Golubkov E.P. Marketing research: theory, practice and

Methodology 2008

Shekshnya S.V. Personnel management of a modern organization. M.: 2009

Basovsky L.E. Marketing: Course of lectures. 2011.

Shamkhalov F.I. American management: Theory and practice. – M.: Nauka, 2011.

Reznik S.D. Organizational behavior-2012

Kotler F. Marketing management 2009

Shekshnya S.V. Personnel management of a modern organization. M.: 2009

Bronnikova T.S., Chernyavsky A.G. Marketing. Tutorial -

Taganrog State Radio Engineering University 2010

Reznik S.D. Organizational behavior-2012

Zaitseva, T.V. Personnel management: textbook / T.V. Zaitseva, A.T. Zub. – M.: Publishing House “Forum”; INFRA-M, 2006.

Personal management: textbook / S. D. Reznik et al. – 2nd ed., revised. and additional – M.: INFRA-M, 2006.

Zaitseva, T.V. Personnel management: textbook / T.V. Zaitseva, A.T. Zub. – M.: Publishing House “Forum”; INFRA-M, 2006.

Reznik S.D. Organizational behavior-2012

Zaitseva, T.V. Personnel management: textbook / T.V. Zaitseva, A.T. Zub. – M.: Publishing House “Forum”; INFRA-M, 2006.

(www.elitarium.ru).

Golubkov E.P. Marketing research: theory, practice and

Transfer of responsibility, or delegation, and control over the execution of instructions are central to the standards for effective interaction between a manager and subordinates. The organizational benefits of transferring workload downward are obvious. Delegation allows managers not to waste their time and energy on solving current problems, but to focus entirely on implementing strategic plans.

Vladimir Stolin, Lev Kirillov
Delegation mechanisms
"Economic Strategies", 2001, No. 2, pp. 64-73

It's already about nine o'clock in the evening, and all the employees have gone home. But Alexey Pavlovich, financial director of a Moscow trading company, is still at work. He is finishing a report that he must present to the general the next morning. Alexey Pavlovich was tasked with analyzing the strategic advantages of modernizing the company's accounting system, and he hoped that he would be able to do this within a week, but there was not a single free minute in his busy daily schedule. This situation is familiar to many managers - constant monitoring of the activities of employees takes up all the working time, and the implementation of any strategic projects becomes impossible. But for Alexey Pavlovich this project is very important, and he will have to work all night.

Could Alexey Pavlovich organize his work in such a way as to find time for the report in advance? Undoubtedly. By revising the to-do list, placing emphasis differently and entrusting some of his responsibilities to his subordinates, he would save his time and expand the powers of his own employees.

There is a humorous saying, not without deep meaning: “Good leaders make others work, bad leaders work themselves.” Transfer of responsibility, or delegation and control over the execution of instructions, are central to the standards for effective interaction between a manager and subordinates. The organizational benefits of transferring workload "down" are obvious: it helps managers, without wasting time and energy on "turnover", to focus entirely on solving strategic issues.

Competent delegation brings no less benefit to subordinates: it contributes to the development of their professionalism, responsibility, increases the degree of job satisfaction and, in general, makes the company more attractive in their eyes. If your employees perform an important task but are not empowered to make their own decisions, sooner or later you will face general dissatisfaction. People will be disappointed because they cannot cope with the tasks assigned to them, you and other managers to whom employees turn for help will be irritated (subordinates are shifting their problems onto you!).

Despite the obvious benefits of delegating responsibility, experience shows that many managers need not only to improve the practical ability to effectively delegate part of their work to subordinates, but, first of all, to increase the internal readiness to do this.

What is delegation

The expression “delegation of responsibility” has become fashionable in many organizations. Although this term is used frequently, its meaning is not always clear. Although there is no precise definition, many recognize that delegation of responsibility is important for achieving quality, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement of the company. Essentially, it is a type of activity in which authority is transferred to another person in order to enable him to perform a certain task or achieve a certain goal. Moreover, those who delegated authority, along with the inevitable loss of practical control associated with delegation, retain responsibility for the final result. If the pilot of an airplane suddenly decided to give the helm to a stranger, the passengers would most likely be overcome with horror. If we need to delegate authority to someone else in order to complete an important project, we would probably want to either "share the controls of the airplane" or at least "have a personal parachute on hand."

Delegation is not a leisure activity for a manager. The viability of both the leader and the organization depends on its effectiveness. Without it, managers would not be able to manage important processes, since they would be too busy trying to do everything themselves, and the total resources of the company or team, which can be distributed in a certain order for any work, would be limited by the corresponding resources of the manager.

Most of us are not supermen or geniuses, and failure to delegate responsibility exposes and even magnifies all our imperfections. On the contrary, successful delegation helps overcome them.

Why should you delegate?

Delegating responsibility is essentially a numbers strategy. It allows you to distribute the amount of work assigned to the shoulders of one or several people among a large number of people. Thus, it helps free up the manager for other responsibilities. Therefore, he views delegation primarily as a method for increasing productivity and saving time.

One of the most important consequences of delegation is an increased sense of self-worth and increased interest in work among employees accepting authority. Firstly, they themselves control the process of completing the task (the question: “What is preferable – self-control or external control?”) is hardly appropriate here; secondly, they work with greater efficiency, since independent work almost always brings more satisfaction and desire to work than carrying out someone else’s plan.

Delegation of responsibility is inextricably linked with trust (requires some initial level of trust). An environment in which mutual trust prevails promotes greater productivity. The lack of this forces employees to spend energy on observing others and self-defense. When a person sees that he is trusted, he is usually inclined to reciprocate, thereby justifying the original trust. Thus, trust broadens the prospects for delegation, which in turn strengthens trust in the one taking responsibility.

On the other hand, the one who receives delegated powers must have confidence in the one who delegates these powers, that is, he must be confident that he will receive managerial and material support (without interfering in the process of performing the work itself), which will lead to results his work will be treated with due respect, and there will be no blame or punishment if he fails. Delegation of responsibility increases the subordinate's trust in the leader. The result is a strengthening of the overall relationship.

Delegating responsibility is an investment in the future. Done effectively, it enables employees to develop skills and hidden capabilities that they were not previously aware of.

Why do we do this?

Some managers - due to the current situation or personal qualities - are simply not able to transfer their responsibilities to another. Perhaps they cannot find suitable candidates, do not see the necessary qualities in their employees, or are simply hesitant to do so. Often, managers point to a lack of trust in subordinates as one of the most important obstacles to transferring authority to them. Just as trust and delegation of responsibility are mutually reinforcing, so too, distrust shown towards another person can cause a response that further strengthens the distrust. The leader must carefully understand the reasons for his mistrust, in particular, find out whether it is connected with real facts or is groundless.

Delegating responsibility scares many managers because their work ends up in the hands of someone else, while they themselves continue to be responsible for the end result. This dependence on an outsider and the accompanying sense of vulnerability is enough for some to refuse delegation altogether, unless circumstances do not allow it. However, these managers do not realize that any benefits from direct control (“I will do it myself”) from this approach to management do not compensate for the losses resulting from overload and stress.
A significant role in the refusal of many managers to transfer part of their responsibilities to subordinates is played by the fear of losing their own positions. We are afraid that by expanding the scope of responsibility of subordinates, we may inadvertently make ourselves less indispensable in the eyes of our superiors. The seemingly obvious way to combat this danger is not to dig a hole for ourselves: to limit the capabilities of our subordinates, to show their incompetence, not to train potential successors or, even worse, someone who can “outrun” us. The weakness of this position is that the value of a leader is directly determined by his ability to develop the people under his command. By not fulfilling this responsibility, he wastes or underutilizes the most important resource of any organization - its employees, thereby increasing the chance of losing his job.

Many managers refuse to delegate, believing that it is easier for them to do the work themselves rather than waste time and effort on explanations and training. As a short-term strategy, this method can sometimes be useful, but as a long-term approach, it only leads to the depletion of the leader's energy and the underutilization of the abilities of subordinates. The managers themselves cite the following as specific reasons for their skepticism regarding delegation of responsibilities.

Lack of time required for detailed briefing of subordinates regarding the essence of assigned tasks, as well as for monitoring the progress of their implementation. “It will take much more time to explain to my assistants what to do and how to do it than if I did everything myself,” the boss reasons in such cases.
Lack of confidence that subordinates are able to complete assigned work efficiently and in a timely manner. “I can handle this much better and faster than my guys,” is a typical argument of such managers.
Fear of losing control over the course of the matter after it is released from hands. “If the situation changes, my deputy will not figure out what adjustments should be made to the original plan and will fail, and I will have to answer!” - an argument given quite often.
Conflict with senior management as a result of delegating one’s own work to assistants. “What will the general say when he learns that I have withdrawn from direct participation in the implementation of the project?!” - exclaims the head of a company whose corporate ideology does not encourage initiative and independence of ordinary employees. However, a closer analysis of the situation shows that often such reasoning serves only as a “smoke screen” to hide the true reason: the lack of readiness to cede at least a small part of the powers to subordinates.
Reluctance to part with a job you love. Such internal conflict is most often experienced by people promoted to leadership positions due to high professional skills. For example, a successful salesman who becomes the head of the sales department devotes the bulk of his time not to supervising employees, but to personal negotiations with clients. In the same way, a highly qualified programmer promoted to head of information technology services cannot refuse many hours of daily participation in the development of new software products.
Fear of losing power and influence as a result of transferring some management functions to lower-level employees. “Today I will entrust this work to my deputy, and in a year he will take my chair,” says the manager, who strives to maintain his position at any cost.
Fear of loss of authority if tasks that were previously considered capable only of a manager of a certain rank are transferred to his subordinates. “If my assistant signs these documents, I will look undignified in the eyes of other company managers” - this is the true motive that drives a person who refuses to transfer to another the right to sanction concluded contracts under the respectable pretext of “the need to minimize the risk of making erroneous decisions.”

However, even those managers who have realized the need (and the unconditional usefulness!) of reasonable “self-unloading” do not always successfully cope with the delegation of responsibility. The results of studies conducted by specialized development centers (1), organized by RHR International Ecopsy, allow us to conclude that there are typical delegation errors that make this process ineffective:

Most managers focus primarily on three fundamental questions of delegation, namely: “what?”, “who?”, “how?”. If we talk about the first of them (“what to delegate?”), then, contrary to the above-mentioned psychological barriers to the transfer of authority, in practice, many managers blithely delegate high-risk tasks to subordinates, “burning” matters (leaving no time for detailed dedication of new performers to the essence of the problem) or issues of a confidential nature, the solution of which is possible only if there is trust in the relations of the participants. On the other hand, the same barriers prevent managers from passing down tasks that, from all points of view, would be appropriate to entrust to subordinates. First of all, this concerns standard duties and work of a preparatory nature (objectively not requiring the intervention of a manager), or, conversely, highly specialized activities, the success of which depends not so much on general administrative abilities, but on specific professional skills.

"To whom and how to delegate?" Experience shows that: in a number of cases, managers either cannot accurately determine the optimal performers (from the point of view of people’s abilities and desires) for the work that needs to be done, or do not know how to competently guide them towards its implementation. Moreover, the very idea of demonstrating the personal benefits and prospects that can open up for an employee if he succeeds seems absurd to them. “I order – the subordinate does!” - this is the credo of such bosses.

Managers often find it difficult to clearly explain to their subordinates the essence of the work and name the deadlines for its completion; they cannot identify key parameters and choose forms of control over the implementation of the assigned tasks.

Finally, when faced with unsatisfactory performance of a task (for example, violation of agreed deadlines or poor quality of work), managers, instead of discussing with their subordinates ways to solve the problems that have arisen, often behave inappropriately: either they subject the employee to “corporate flogging” (in a mild form) in this case, these are angry exclamations like: “How could you allow this to happen?!!”), or, on the contrary, they ingratiatingly ask to “understand the situation” before it becomes the property of higher management.
However, the ability (or inability) to delegate is not an inherent quality. If desired, a manager can always develop it by turning to corporate psychology for help, which has a number of quite effective “medicines” for this case. These include the above-mentioned development centers, business training, as well as coaching (2) - an individualized strategy for developing managerial potential. There is a lot that managers can do on their own in the workplace. We hope that the recommendations below will help them with this.

Keys to Effective Delegation

“Know your people” is the first item on the list of fundamentals of effective delegation. To delegate any business, you need to find the most suitable candidate. To do this, the manager must have information about the unique qualities of each person subordinate to him, that is, have an idea not only of his abilities, but also of his readiness to take responsibility for fulfilling the assignment, his self-confidence. The result of this awareness is trust as one of the most important conditions for successful delegation.

Trust in a person should be demonstrated not only in words, but also in deeds. It will be perceived as sincere only when it manifests itself in the leader’s behavior in how carefully he checks the process of fulfilling a given assignment, how much independence he has given to his subordinates, how important the projects delegated to him are.

Like any important activity in an organization, delegation needs communication. In three cases, communication plays a particularly important role. The first is a detailed statement of the guidelines accompanying the assigned task. This refers to goals, time, authority, budget and boundaries for decision making. The second is the establishment of feedback (of the appropriate type and frequency) necessary during the execution of the work. The third is evaluating the results of the assigned task: people should be encouraged for successful projects and not punished for unsuccessful ones or for mistakes, especially when a lot of effort was put into completing the task - and negative experience can teach something.

Freedom is the cornerstone of effective delegation. Constant control is the hammer that threatens to fall on the heads of those who take responsibility. Giving people freedom means giving them enough autonomy and authority to complete a given task from start to finish, so that they can express their own opinions and make their own decisions, and ultimately achieve their own results. A boss who “hangs” over his subordinates, seems omnipresent and omniscient, often just wants to “be here if needed.” In other words, constant control is not necessarily an expression of mistrust or a desire to limit the independence of subordinates. However, be that as it may, such “courtesy” sometimes still masks - and ultimately reveals - the manager’s insecurity, his reluctance to let go of his work, or, worse, a lack of trust in his subordinates.

One of the surest ways to motivate employees through responsibility is to give them tasks that they perceive as very important. By assigning unimportant work to your employees, you will quickly undermine any trust they have in delegation.

Effective delegation starts with the following steps.

Analyze the distribution of administrative and workload

Some managers, fearing that too much freedom will lead to no good, believe that giving employees too much autonomy is like letting crazy people escape from a mental hospital. The organization can help the manager overcome fears associated with delegation. One way is to strengthen mutual accountability. It is important that not only employees report to managers, but also managers to employees. Some organizations try to break down "class differences" among their employees by using definitions that are neutral to the corporate hierarchy, such as calling all employees "colleagues."

To analyze the distribution of administrative and workload, try the following: For a month, record the current tasks and decisions made within the organization. Determine which of your deputies, assistants, and line managers is responsible for resolving each issue. Check their powers according to the gradation below:

independently makes and implements decisions, informing management about the results;
makes decisions, reporting them to management before proceeding with their implementation;
offers management a choice of preliminary solutions, leaving the final word to them;
carries out assignments after receiving detailed instructions from management.

Consider your results. Are you being overly protective of your employees, giving them advice and guidance when they don't need it? Is your desire to be aware of exactly how employees intend to solve assigned tasks and constantly monitor their implementation always justified?

Highlight tasks and identify performers

If we are not talking about redistributing the existing administrative and workload, but about some specific tasks, start with the following: clarify and write down on a separate sheet of paper the problems that fall within your area of responsibility. Then classify each of them according to the following criteria:

you need to complete the task yourself;
You can share responsibility for completing a task with subordinates;
the task can be entirely delegated to subordinates.

Look again at those items that you have reserved for yourself. Are there any problems here that don't really require your participation? Can performing delegated tasks contribute to the development of your subordinates?

Then consider candidates for potential performers of the tasks that you intend to delegate to subordinates. They have to:

have the necessary skills;
show interest in this area of activity (maybe they have already approached you with a request for similar work?);
have a need to develop their skills in a given area;
have time to work on such a task.

Match the list of candidates with the characteristics of the task (importance, complexity, impact on other organizational processes and functions). Choose the most suitable one, show him the benefits that the new job promises, for example, the opportunity to be noted by superiors and the chance for career growth. Discuss with your subordinate what level of participation on your part is optimal for him. Give him the right to carry out assigned tasks as he sees fit (even if this partly disagrees with your opinion). Learning from your own mistakes is the most effective way for most people to develop their abilities. And further:

start searching for a contractor from the lowest level of your organization, moving from the bottom up;
if the suitable person is not under your direct subordination, obtain the consent of his immediate superior;
talk to the manager to whom you plan to delegate responsibility; if the assignment is complex, try to break the task down into several smaller tasks that could be transferred even lower;
identify people to whom you are currently trying not to give important assignments; identify the reasons for your reluctance - if it is insufficient qualifications of employees, develop a plan for developing the necessary abilities in your subordinates.

Make sure your subordinate understands what you want from him

When delegating responsibility, it is important to make sure that the subordinate clearly understands what you want by assigning him the work. Have your employees create a sequence diagram detailing what they do. Ask them to outline each activity—for example, answering the phone, filling out payment forms, processing exchange requests—step by step. If you think it's easy, you're wrong. Try to make some kind of plan yourself, like: “How I make coffee.” When your employees begin to make such diagrams, their work will become clearer to them, and it will be easier to identify useless or unproductive actions. Teach them to ask the question: “Is this necessary for the good of the business?”; encourage them to talk back to you. If they make a mistake, you will correct them and be able to explain what the mistake was. However, you will be surprised how often they are right! To make your expectations clear to your subordinate, when setting goals for each project or assignment, determine:

when the task should be completed;
what special instructions and directions are necessary for the subordinate to perform the work;
when and in what form you want to see the progress report;
what you want the end results to be.

Discuss the assignment with the contractor and answer any questions he may have. Do not stop discussing until you are sure that the interlocutor fully understands what you want from him. Subordinates are often reluctant to ask questions that arise during the course of work, for fear of appearing incompetent.

Create a system for monitoring the progress of instructions

The control exercised by the manager during the execution of the assignment comes down to using various data to monitor the status of the work and provide personal support and the necessary resources, as well as, if necessary, adjust the work process. For the manager, on the one hand, it is important not to exceed the agreed level of contact with the project and not to interfere with the progress of its implementation; on the other hand, the subordinate must be confident in the timely support of his superiors. It is not enough to simply set dates for interim reports and the final report of performers: often they do not accurately assess their ability to complete the assigned work efficiently and on time. Therefore, from the very beginning, agree that subordinates should not hesitate to inform you about problems that arise and not wait until they become threatening. If you see that the implementation of the assigned task does not fit within the established deadlines or the task is not being carried out with sufficient quality, use the following recommendations:

when the discrepancies between plans and reality are insignificant, simply ask your subordinates to independently eliminate any “roughness” that has arisen or deviations from the original schedule;
if the discrepancies are large, discuss the current situation together and develop measures to correct it. You may have to make adjustments to the organization of your work or attract additional resources in order to still achieve your goal.

At the same time, you must suppress any attempts at so-called “reverse delegation”, when subordinates in one form or another “return” the transferred tasks to management. A typical situation: a subordinate informs the manager about his difficulties in completing the last section of the prepared report. Without looking up from his work, the boss (not wanting to waste time instructing a “careless” subordinate) says: “Leave the report with me, I’ll finish it myself.” Result? There is a risk for the manager to encounter the same situation when preparing the next report for his subordinates. How to avoid such a trap? If an employee has serious problems while carrying out an assignment, discuss the current situation with him, actively encourage him to look for the necessary solutions, and support the steps he has planned. If you eventually realize that the task is truly beyond the capabilities of this employee and your non-intervention is fraught with serious complications, delegate the task to a more experienced subordinate. In any case, you should not take on the matter yourself. Do not redo work delegated to subordinates, even if you are not satisfied with the result. Indicate what and why you don’t like it, ask to do everything again.

Evaluation of work performed is a necessary step adopted in many organizations. When you assign tasks to subordinates, it is very important to emphasize that when evaluating work, the result is of paramount importance, while the methods for achieving it play a lesser role. Of course, the manager must know what methods the subordinate used in order to control his learning process, but the result should be considered first. Never let the person carrying out the assignment feel that his way of doing things is bad just because it was not agreed with you. When discussing the methods used, it is wise to first ask the subordinate to consider what could be done differently if he were to take on a similar task again. This discussion can be very fruitful and beneficial for both your employee and you. Finally, at this final stage, do not forget to recognize and appreciate the achievements of the direct executor of the assignment. If the work was done less successfully than you would like, in search of reasons, turn, first of all, to the delegation process itself, to how you managed it, look for your own mistakes, and not the mistakes of your subordinate. Once you have identified the source of failure, learn from it and, if necessary, make appropriate adjustments to future assignments. Attribute any accusations primarily to yourself. By doing this, you yourself can learn something.

Lead with compassion

Leading your subordinates with compassion and empathy is the key to successful delegation. Compassionate leadership is characterized by openness, receptivity to new ideas, honesty, caring for and respect for people. A leader who shows empathy for his subordinates knows that his main task is to create in them a vision of a common bright future and lead them in this direction.

Organizations where leaders hold too much power in their hands create an atmosphere that is hostile to the idea of delegating responsibility. There is limited open exchange of information and little opportunity for innovation. Only in an environment of mutual trust will people feel free to experiment with new ideas and take risks.

Employees should know: management wants them to participate in the common cause, they will be willing to listen to them, support them and help them realize their ideas. In turn, leaders should trust their subordinates and each other.

The driving force behind delegation is the desire to introduce the initiative where it is possible to improve the organization’s activities and improve the quality of its work.

POST SCRIPTUM
After a not very successful experience with writing a report, Alexey Pavlovich realized: in order to work effectively, he needed to rely more on his employees and trust them. Try, like Alexey Pavlovich, to delegate some of your responsibilities - and you will see: your work will become easier, and your employees will have the opportunity for professional growth.

Notes

1. Development centers provide an opportunity for managers to evaluate each other’s actions in accordance with a special scale in artificially simulated management situations.

2. Coaching (from the English word coach - to train, rehearse) involves diagnosing the management style that has developed in a given manager, drawing up, together with a consultant, a plan for the formation of the necessary properties and monitoring the dynamics of their development during periodic meetings. Unlike development centers, which are designed for managers at various levels, coaching is intended primarily for senior managers.

What, to whom and how to delegate

Poor delegation is like an insidious disease that may seem harmless at first, but can cause serious complications if left untreated. There are a number of symptoms that can help you determine whether you have problems with delegation: your subordinates are in a depressed mood; you often stay late at work; conflicts are brewing in the team; employees ask questions about delegated tasks too often... How to correct the situation?

TO EACH WITH A TASK

A manager who does not like or does not know how to delegate may not even realize how negatively this feature of his affects the work of the company. What should a manager who is used to relying only on himself do?

In order to improve the quality of delegation and learn how to do it correctly, you first need to decide which tasks to delegate and which not.

It is necessary to delegate:

specific tasks that subordinates can handle better than the manager (and employees understand this);
preparatory work: for example, summarizing information and primary analysis. Such tasks (usually simple) allow the subordinate to show his abilities;
routine tasks;
solving minor issues.

A manager will do his job most effectively if he is guided by a simple rule: everything that subordinates can do, they should do (taking into account their workload, of course) - and at the same time remember that some tasks cannot be delegated. Among them:

development of company strategy and policy;
issues of remuneration (including incentives);
hiring and firing employees;
setting goals;
control of results;
motivation;
high-risk tasks;
confidential assignments.

Having decided on the tasks that need to be delegated, it is necessary to select the optimal performers. The situation when there is an employee who has sufficient knowledge and experience in performing similar tasks is ideal. In most cases, you have to entrust tasks to people who do not have the necessary skills, so you need to provide time for training and ongoing supervision. It is possible that the employee will have to carry out the assignment in several iterations until the manager is satisfied with the result. Despite the large time investment, such delegation should be viewed as an investment in the future. After all, next time this person will cope with such work much faster.

Everything said is logical and indisputable. But what should a manager do if he is in a state of emergency and has no time for explanations? There is only one answer: no matter what, start delegating, doing it gradually. For example, start by assigning urgent but not complex tasks to experienced, reliable employees. Explaining the essence of the task will not take much time. Then delegate increasingly more complex tasks. When you have more time, assign non-urgent tasks to inexperienced employees and train them.

To decide what task to assign and to whom, the manager needs to answer a number of questions:

What should the result be?
By what criteria will it be assessed?
In what time frame must the work be completed?
What tools are needed to accomplish it?
What powers will the employee need to be given?
What powers do you reserve?

Naturally, to obtain a positive effect, you need to delegate not only tasks, but also powers. The manager must clearly delineate the areas of his responsibility and the responsibility of the subordinate to whom the task is delegated. It is necessary to make a list of cases when a subordinate makes a decision on his own, and a list of people to whom he should turn for help.

Even if certain powers have already been delegated to a subordinate, not every manager will be able to resist interfering in his work. This can be explained simply – by the desire to prevent possible mistakes. However, such interference does not benefit the employee’s work - he begins to think that the powers delegated to him actually mean nothing, since his boss is watching his every move. And he does not feel responsible for the task being performed in such a situation - after all, if the manager monitors how the work is progressing, then it is he who will have to detect the error. If he doesn’t find out, then “bribes are fine” from the employee: if the boss didn’t see the mistake, then what could I do, he thinks.

How to find the “golden mean”: so that the employee is aware of his responsibility for solving the problem, and not worry that an undetected error will ultimately prevent the achievement of the expected result? Need feedback. Moreover, for each task you will have to choose the optimal form:

Written reports: daily, weekly, monthly. The frequency and volume depend on the complexity of the task and the degree of trust in the employee. One of the advantages is the opportunity provided to employees to formulate their thoughts in the best form. Thanks to this, the manager can quickly understand the essence of the matter. The disadvantages include the fact that subordinates can hide mistakes until the last minute, for fear of angering their boss.
Personal reports: one-on-one meetings with a subordinate at certain time intervals. Undoubtedly, this will give the manager the most complete picture of events. However, meeting too often can lead to negative consequences.
Open Door Policy: Encouraging subordinates to come to you for help or clarification regarding problems that arise. This option is the least convenient for the manager (it takes too much time and makes employees less independent), but sometimes it is advisable - for example, when you need to gain the trust of subordinates.
Collegiality: meetings with the participation of the manager, the subordinate to whom the task has been delegated, and other team members involved in it. Such meetings promote a comprehensive consideration of the task, but can weaken the employee’s sense of personal responsibility.

Often, optimal results are achieved by combining several types of feedback. For example, weekly written reports and biweekly personal contacts.

There are several degrees of completeness of delegation of authority. The manager, based on the situation, can choose the most suitable option and act in accordance with it (Table 1).

GET INSTRUCTIONS!

Having decided which employee to assign the task to be delegated, the manager must provide instructions. First of all, you need to choose a communication style. It can be different depending on the prevailing conditions, the nature of the task, as well as the individual characteristics of the subordinate. For example, some people prefer a leader to mentor them, others want support, others want clear instructions, and others want to be given complete autonomy.

First of all, the manager must decide what to do - in accordance with the expectations of the subordinate or with the requirements of the situation. It happens that a delegated task needs to be completed in only one way, and then for the employee “the initiative is punishable.” The manager must convey this to the subordinate - even if the latter is ambitious and independent - and convince him of the need to strictly follow orders. For example, explain why a task requires such a solution, why this task is needed, how it will affect the company’s work.

A conversation with a subordinate should consist of the following stages:

1. Finding out the workload. Perhaps the subordinate is too busy and it would be inappropriate to delegate the task to him. If, based on the employee’s response, the manager realized that the new assignment will not cause an emergency, then you can move on to the second stage.

2. Explanation of the task should be as complete, clear and detailed as possible so that the subordinate can delve into all the details. At the same time, the manager must let the employee know that he is confident in his abilities and high results - that is why he entrusts him with this task, and not because others have refused and there is no one else to give it to.

Detailed instructions are especially important in case of , if the employee has never dealt with such tasks before and the manager wants to teach him something new. Then you need not only to describe the task, but also to show how to perform this kind of task.

3. Feedback. The manager should ask the employee what he thinks about this task, listen to the answer and draw three conclusions: how much the interlocutor understands what is required of him, whether he is motivated and whether he is ready to move on to discussing resources. If a subordinate still has even the slightest objections or doubts, there is no need to rush to the next stage. And since not everyone likes to take on additional obligations, resistance is possible. In this case, the manager can ask the subordinate directly why he refuses. The assignment may need to be modified to reach a compromise.

4. Discussion of resources You can begin by obtaining the employee’s consent to complete the task. The best option is if the subordinate himself talks about the necessary means and deadlines for completing the task. If subordinates complain about a lack of resources, then managers often behave either too aggressively (“what can I do? Work with what you have!”) or too compliant (“take whatever you want, just complete the task”). In the first case, the employee will not feel motivated. As for the second, next time the manager will most likely face even more pressure and be forced to provide even more funds.

The optimal (albeit time-consuming) course of action in this situation is to discuss resources with the employee until a compromise is reached. If a manager understands how a task can be accomplished with available resources, he can explain his course of action and thus justify refusing to provide more funds.

5. Determination of control methods. It is necessary to agree with the employee on control points and requirements in each of them. The number of control points is determined by the manager for each situation separately. Experienced employees and those who solve not too complex problems can be monitored to a minimum. If, according to the manager's forecasts, the subordinate may need help or is likely to encounter problems in the process of completing the task, then it is necessary to provide timely control, which will avoid serious mistakes.

6. Repetition of what has been covered. Concluding the conversation, the manager repeats the key points of the task and reminds the subordinate by what time he expects results from him.

SECRET DELEGATION

There are many seemingly insignificant details that can turn out to be critical when performing delegated tasks. Practice shows that for successful delegation a manager needs:

do not split up the task, but entrust it completely to one performer (if possible). When a person completes a job from start to finish and feels responsible for the result, its quality improves. If the task is complex and one person cannot complete it, you need to delegate to one of the employees the authority to attract other team members to solve it;
convey to the team information about what task the subordinate is performing and what powers he has;
do not assign the same task to two employees “just in case”;
immediately make it clear to the contractor what is more important to you in this situation: the quality of the work or delivering it on time;
teach employees to solve emerging problems on their own. Resist the temptation to answer all the questions and thereby save time on the task. It’s better that an independent decision will take more time, but the costs will be more than recouped. So if an employee starts asking you how to do something, ask him the same question;
Don't rely on your memory. Write down all delegated tasks, all agreed deadlines, and all other important information. This will allow you to better control the process of completing tasks and not forget about anything;
be able to recognize employee talents. A leader who delegates well is like the coach of a sports team. He always knows which project to assign to which employee;
Don’t forget to reward people for successfully completing tasks.

Thanks to proper delegation, employees will become more independent and gradually begin to improve their skills, and the manager will be able to devote more time to strategic issues. So there is no need to regret the time spent setting up a delegation system.

Gymnastics for a leader

Set of delegation exercises

You need to gradually learn to classify tasks by importance and make decisions about who to entrust their implementation to. The exercises below will help with this.

Exercise 1. Who should I entrust unpleasant tasks to?

Divide a sheet of paper into three columns. First, write down the functions you perform with pleasure. In the second - things that are unpleasant for you, but important for business. In the third - employees who can be entrusted with tasks from the second column. To do this, analyze the weaknesses and strengths of your subordinates, their interests and personal qualities. Once a list of potential performers has been compiled for each task, individual conversations can be held with them and final decisions can be made.

Exercise 2: Step-by-step delegation

Make a list of all the tasks you perform. Classify them into three categories:

A. Problems that you believe only you can solve.

B. Tasks that someone else can do - not as well as you could do it, but at least satisfactorily.

B. Tasks that one of his subordinates can handle perfectly.

Decide to delegate some of your responsibilities to subordinates and gradually increase the volume of delegated tasks - from the simplest (related to point “B”) to the most complex. For example, within three months, entrust 20% of your functions to subordinates. And within a year – increase the volume of delegated tasks to 50%.

Review your task list periodically. Perhaps you will see new qualities in your subordinates and this will allow you, for example, to transfer some cases from category “A” to category “B” and delegate them over time.

When you acquire delegation skills, the likelihood that there will be very few tasks in category “A” increases greatly. But the most important ones will certainly remain.

Exercise 3. Delegation by numbers

Many of the things a manager does during the day are time sinks. Make a list of tasks that take you from 15 minutes to 12 hours a week (and write them down in the first column of Table 1 (in this example there are 10 such tasks).

How much time does it take you to complete each of them in a week? Enter the appropriate numbers in the second column. Calculate the total number of hours spent on all these tasks per week.

For each task, determine the possible degree of completeness of delegation: entirely, partially, not possible. Place a check mark in the appropriate cells in the table.

Make a list of all your subordinates to whom you could delegate tasks, and write their names in the first row of Table 2. Write in the first column all the functions you intend to delegate. Think about which function would be best assigned to which employee, and fill in the appropriate cells. To do this, estimate approximately how many hours you will save if you delegate this task to a specific employee. Note that it is possible to distribute a task among several subordinates, although this must be done very carefully. If the task is purely technical, routine, then it is worth delegating it to several subordinates - after all, in this case, everyone will get a smaller amount of boring work. But if the task is creative, then it is better to give it full control to one employee. This will make him feel that you trust him, and this will serve as a strong motivating factor. In addition, you will not have to divide powers and responsibilities between several subordinates, which is often problematic.

For each task, calculate how many hours you can free up for yourself through delegation. Add up all estimates of time saved and evaluate the overall result.

Of course, having modeled the situation of transferring responsibilities to subordinates on paper, it is necessary to test it in practice.

Delegation: insurance when completing tasks

When delegating authority, the manager must take precautions. Insurance during delegation is an opportunity to quickly receive feedback and find out how correctly the assigned task is being completed.

Just like with a car, you can choose the type of insurance that will provide the most protection for your decision. For example, if the driver’s experience is short and the car is new, then, as a rule, they buy CASCO. Then all risks are protected as much as possible. If the experience is sufficient, then the car owner may decide to limit himself to a car citizen. And he takes on the rest of the risks, that is, he hopes that his skill will exceed the insurance premiums. When delegating tasks, a similar situation arises. The type of insurance directly depends on the person’s level of preparedness for the upcoming work. In this regard, we distinguish three categories of employees:

1. Beginner – performs the task for the first time.
2. Trainee – has already completed this assignment 1-2 times.
3. Master – has successfully completed this task more than once.

First I say, then I do

The use of this type of insurance is quite justified in relation to a newcomer - an employee who performs some task for the first time. He is not yet confident in his abilities, so he explains what he will do and how, after which he receives the boss’s go-ahead and begins to carry it out. Having taken the first step, the subordinate receives feedback and moves on to the second step, with similar insurance.

What's the point? If an employee can say what he is going to do and how, you have the opportunity to make sure that the decisions he made are correct, and if something goes wrong -
correct before starting work. In this case, you completely prevent the employee’s possible mistakes, and therefore the company’s losses. It’s not hard to guess that if everyone is always insured like this, there won’t be physically enough working time. Therefore, there is a temptation to do the work yourself. “It’s faster this way,” I regularly hear at trainings. But if the employee remains at the beginner level, he simply becomes a burden to the company. Therefore, insurance based on preliminary verbalization of actions is suitable only for tasks performed by a person for the first time. For each subsequent performance of the same task, another insurance is needed, which assumes more responsibility and independence on the part of the performer.

First I do, then I say

This method can be used to insure an employee performing a similar task for the second time. He takes a step on his own and gives a brief report on it. And so on: done - reported, done - reported. The manager's time expenditure is reduced, and if the employee learns from his own experience, the quality of work as a whole does not suffer. This insurance is ideal for an intern with whom you can contact twice a day: in the morning you set a task and in the evening you receive a report on its completion. Unlike a beginner, for whom the interval of trust can be measured in hours, or even minutes.

An intern who has successfully completed the same type of assignment several times can be promoted and the following type of insurance applied to him.

I do it, and if there are problems, I say it

Think of the task as something like a truck driver's job. You need to deliver cargo from point A to point B. If the driver is a professional (a person who has repeatedly driven along this route), then it is hardly advisable to apply the first two types of insurance to him. It is ideal for him to be given complete freedom of action (completely independent performance of work). And only if unforeseen circumstances arise, get in touch and seek advice or help. The interval of trust in employees with this level of training can be a week or two. You set a task, and within a week he completes it independently. Provides a scheduled report at the end of the week. At the same time, if nothing force majeure happens “on the highway,” you will not hear an extra word from him. And if problems arise, he will contact you, and you will look for a way out of the current situation.

How to use all this?
1. Call an employee, assign him a task (clearly formulate it and write it down on a separate sheet).
2. Determine his level of readiness to perform this task: beginner, trainee, master.
3. Ask the beginner to tell him what and how he will do, briefly record the steps.
4. For the intern, determine the moments after which he should call you and report on how things are going.
5. Agree on a communication channel with the foreman in case of any problems.
Finally, as the employee completes the task, ensure that the insurance you choose is working.
It is important to remember that overinsurance creates resistance on the part of the contractor, and underinsurance can slow down the process of information about the work being performed reaching you. Therefore, work out an adequate insurance scheme so as not to waste unnecessary effort and receive timely reports on the progress of work.

Common delegation mistakes

1. An attempt to shift responsibility to a subordinate

When delegating, the manager’s responsibility cannot decrease - it only increases, because in any case, he is responsible for the final result. And besides this - for the choice of the performer and the expediency of entrusting him with this task.

2. Insufficient instruction

Instruction and a detailed description of the delegated task are a necessary condition for its successful completion. A carefully instructed employee will not be able to attribute his failure to the fact that the instructions were not formulated clearly enough.

3. Too many instructions

Insufficiently detailed instructions are undoubtedly bad. However, if the employee to whom you entrust the task feels like a foolish child due to too detailed instructions, do not expect zeal from him. There is no need to repeat the obvious several times; watch your tone - it should not be condescending.

4. “I take your word for it”

It is very important for the manager to make sure that the subordinate understands all the instructions. However, many employees do not like to admit that they did not understand something. It’s easier for them to nod their heads and agree with everything, even if something is not clear. Don't trust your subordinate until he repeats your instructions and you are sure he hasn't missed anything important.

5. “I’ll do it myself faster and better”

Often managers do not delegate tasks because they do not want to spend time monitoring their implementation. It's easier for them to do the work themselves. However, this is a misconception: after all, if you teach a subordinate to cope with tasks, then he will be able to complete them no less quickly and efficiently than the manager. The reason why a manager cannot bring himself to delegate a task is distrust of employees and unwillingness to take risks. How to solve this problem? You need to study the strengths and weaknesses of your subordinates - then you will be able to find feasible tasks for them.

7. Different vision of the situation

No leader is immune from being misunderstood by a subordinate. The way out of such a situation is not only in a more detailed explanation. The manager needs to ask the employee more questions - this way they can come to a common vision of the situation. Questions should be open-ended and begin with the words “who”, “why”, “what”, etc.

8. Neglecting emotions

Not many managers pay attention to employees' emotions. For example, a subordinate feels a lack of knowledge or resources to cope with a task, but does not dare to approach the boss and ask for help. If the manager does not notice in time that something is bothering the employee, the completion of the task may be in jeopardy. He must be able to recognize the emotions of his subordinates, detect changes in their mood and, if necessary, talk to them and offer help.

9. Improper control

Many managers fail to manage subordinates' tasks in a balanced manner. They either strive to monitor every move of the employee, or leave him to his own devices. Both of these extremes are harmful. The best option is control after completing the key stages of the task (determined during the briefing).

Control involves support, praise, and criticism. Negative feedback from a manager should be constructive. And although everyone tends to look for mistakes in their work and pay attention specifically to shortcomings, a conversation with a subordinate should begin with what was done well.

10. Lack of feedback

To improve delegation skills, a manager needs to be able to listen and hear subordinates: regularly ask their opinion about how well he manages to delegate tasks, and listen to their wishes. Employees may feel mistrust and fear at first, so managers need to reassure them that feedback will benefit everyone.

Joseph T. Straub
"The Agile Manager's
Guide to Delegating Work"
Velocity Business Publishing. – 96 p.

The author argues that there are no leaders with an innate ability to delegate. It develops with the acquisition of professional experience and in the course of communication with people. Most managers hate delegation, and the rest cannot tolerate it. To some extent this is explained by character traits. So, leaders can be:

perfectionists. They never say: “If you want to do it well, do it yourself”;
champions of control. They prefer to “keep their finger on the pulse” at all times, which infuriates subordinates (“Bill, don’t you think your desk should be turned a little to the left?” or “The monitor should not be exposed to direct sunlight”);
skeptics. They doubt the abilities of subordinates and do not know what their motives are. How can they entrust them with a job that requires the ability to think outside the box?
singles. They are somewhat akin to perfectionists: they do not believe in teamwork and therefore prefer to do everything themselves. Just in case;
burned. Sometime in the past, they tried to delegate a task to a subordinate with the hidden desire that he would fail it. Naturally, this is what happened. Now their motto is: “If you get burned on milk, you will blow on water”;
not prone to change. They like things to be predictable and orderly. Therefore, it is difficult to delegate to them, because subordinates can bring turmoil into the natural course of events;
autocrats. Guided by the principle “I am paid to think, and you are paid to work”, they never delegate important tasks.

Recognizing what it is that prevents you from delegating some of your responsibilities to subordinates is the first step toward making delegation a tolerable part of your job.

Robert Heller
"Essential Managers
How to Delegate"
Dorling Kindersley Ltd. – 72 p.

The book outlines the most important aspects of delegation: how to motivate subordinates to complete tasks; where to start and how to structure the process of transferring responsibilities; what to pay special attention to.

It is also impossible to delegate without trust. If a manager does not trust a subordinate, it is better to fire him. However, first you need to make sure that the mistrust is based on facts and not on subjective opinion.

When delegating you need:

use all means of communication with subordinates;
treat employees as professionals in their field;
tell subordinates to whom you delegate tasks that you respect and value them;
provide support;
allow you to express your opinion.

When delegating, you cannot:

forget that establishing trust is a two-way process that can require a lot of time and effort;
ordering people to do things you wouldn't do yourself;
make subordinates “scapegoats” if something goes wrong.

Observing subordinates will help the manager establish and maintain constructive relationships with them. Typically, human behavior corresponds to one of three characteristics:

parent – controlling, supportive, purposeful;
adult – rational, objective, fact-oriented;
the child is self-centered, dependent, stubborn.

The most successful model of delegation will be “adult - adult”.

Frank F. Huppe
"Successful Delegation:
How to Grow Your People
Build Your Team, Free Up Your Time and Increase Profits and Productivity"
Career Pr Inc. – 56 p.

The author of this book is sure: in order to start delegating, a manager must overcome a number of psychological barriers that prevent him from giving part of his responsibilities to subordinates. There are seven reasons why managers have a hard time delegating tasks:

1. Ego. It is difficult for a manager to come to terms with the idea that someone can cope with a task no worse than him. He thinks: “What if the subordinate does it better?” He needs to understand that this will not negatively affect his reputation as a leader.

2. Lack of trust. Naturally, it is necessary to think about whether the employee can cope with the task. However, there is no need to demonstrate your distrust to your subordinate.

3. A waste of time. Perhaps it will take you one hour to compile a report, and three for your subordinate. But you will get a whole hour of free time. And the subordinate will cope with this task faster in the future.

4. Lack of control. Sharing responsibility for a manager is like giving the keys to a safe into the wrong hands. However, remember that managerial effectiveness is primarily assessed by the amount of work performed by subordinates, and not by the manager personally. Therefore, delegation only increases your efficiency.

5. Unfamiliar territory. Perhaps it is difficult for a manager to communicate with subordinates: teach them, train them, mentor them.

6. Pride. Spending most of your life at work, independently managing 12 projects - all this gives a manager reason to be proud of himself, his abilities and successes. But only if the quality of work does not suffer, and the manager himself is not in a state of constant emergency.

7. Feelings of guilt. Delegating work that the manager finds boring can make him feel guilty. But then you just need to find a subordinate for whom this task will seem interesting.

Lloyd Finch
Robert B. Maddux
“Delegation Skills for Leaders: An Action Plan for Success
as a Manager"
Crisp Learning. – 120 p.

The first include, in particular, the following misconceptions of managers:

I don’t have time to train employees;
I am better at operational tasks than managerial ones, so I prefer to do the work myself;
If I demand too much from my employees, they will stop treating me well;
I don’t always know who and what to delegate to.

It’s quite easy for a manager to deal with such barriers - just change your attitude: look at your subordinates from a positive side, think about their abilities and be determined to help them develop.

Second group of barriers:

I cannot delegate because my subordinates lack experience and qualifications;
they do not know how to properly manage available resources;
my subordinates do not want to take responsibility;
employees are afraid of criticism and therefore avoid risks.

The manager can overcome the barriers of this group by setting the goal of training subordinates and improving their skills.

Examples of situational barriers:

senior management wants me to complete tasks myself;
there is no one to delegate this task to;
I make most of my decisions in times of crisis.

To overcome such obstacles, it is advisable to create a written plan of simple actions that will help reduce the impact of the situation. The authors believe that it is easiest for a leader to deal with the barriers of this group.

Also on topic

Spelling of unstressed personal verb endings, conjugations, exceptions

N and NN in suffixes of adjective names Suffix enny ending stem

Problems in implementing delegation and their solutions

We prepare basic management reports Management reporting example

The balance equation may look like this: