The fine art of delegation
`THE BIGGEST problem with delegating a task', rues a long-suffering manager, `is that it turns out looking very different from what I had in mind.'
`The biggest problem with managers who delegate a task', counters an afflicted employee, `is that they are not clear about what they have in mind!'
True. The best-laid plans of men get undone the moment they are delegated to someone else. Division of labour, however, is the norm of society in general and business in particular. So here are some guidelines on how you can delegate effectively and get the best out of your employees.
Do not fall into the 'I can do it quicker and better' syndrome. If you do so, you are not managing. You are micro managing. This kind of attitude can land you in a rut. Forever.
Be clear about the task in your mind. It helps to visualize how the completed task or final product should be like. Supervisors are often disappointed with the work their staff returns because they themselves are not clear about what they wanted in the first place.
Make your instructions clear and relevant to the delegates. Prepare an outline or sketch of what you want. Putting it down on paper will help clarify what you want and how you want something done.
Enlist the help of the person you are delegating to. Get him to write the out instructions that you give verbally. Ask him to repeat what he has understood by your instructions so that you are sure that you have been understood.
If you find that the work has turned out less than perfect or the results are not what you had in mind, discuss it with the person so that you can sort out the misunderstanding. If the work is acceptable, say, 'This is fine for this time, but next time I'd like it done this way'. Getting someone continually to redo work to make it perfect is demoralizing, frustrating and a sheer waste of time.
Time frame
Always set a deadline for the completion of work. Employees often tend to relax if there are no stringent deadlines. If it is not possible to complete the task within the given time period, the delegate must get back to you and renegotiate the time or get you to share the task with someone else.
Log tasks on a job-tracking sheet. List the work given out and when it is due. Keep copies of instructions/due dates so that things do not go haywire.
Follow up. Regularly check work in progress. If the person/s you have delegated to was given a week to complete a task, check with them in three days. Remember, rather than enquiring, 'have you finished yet', ask 'how are you doing on project X?' The first will put him on the defensive. You can sniff out any potential problems early on, by checking up regularly.
Give enough space to your people to use their own methods and be creative. As a manager you have to be concerned not merely with the results but also the means. Acknowledge good jobs, no matter how small and work on improving bad ones. Make sure that everything is done positively and non-critically.
As the cliché goes, we do not need managers to do things. We need them to get things done. So be the smart manager- learn to delegate effectively.
BINDU SRIDHAR
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