Delegation in Management

Introduction:

If you are a new manager, you might be finding it tricky to delegate tasks, right? Many people struggle with this, as they don’t know how to go about the process of delegation in management. 

Managers, as a general rule, must suffer from sore shoulders. After all, they bear the burden of so many responsibilities, from setting goals to making strategic decisions. But, the ability to delegate tasks properly is what separates the successful ones from the rest. Delegation is one of the fundamental aspects of management which determines an organization’s growth and productivity. 

In this blog, you will learn what delegation in management is, and how it works. We will also be talking about some benefits of effective delegation in the workplace. Lastly, you will also get tips to delegate tasks in an effective manner, which would help you be a better manager.

What is Delegation in Management?   

Delegation is the process of assigning tasks, responsibilities and authority to individuals within a team or organization. It involves entrusting these tasks based on the skills and capacity of the employees. It doesn’t concern distribution only, but makes sure that the employees are learning and growing while working on these delegated tasks, thus contributing to the success of their team.

Generally speaking, this is how delegation works:

• Assessing tasks: 

Managers try to identify those tasks which don’t require any specific expertise or decision-making authority and select them for delegation.

• Selecting employees:

After identifying the tasks, a manager is required to select employees based on their skills, experience and availability to determine the most suitable person for the task.

• Providing instructions and Delegating authority:

Managers communicate clear instructions about the delegated task and make sure that the employee is aware of what is expected of them. They also delegate the required authority for making decisions related to the task.

• Support and Feedback:

Once the employee has started working on the task, the manager is open to provide support wherever needed, to make the employee well-equipped to complete the task at hand. This monitoring and support helps to address any challenges that might show up.

• Completion and Recognition:

On completion of the task, managers acknowledge the employee’s effort, and this recognition helps to reinforce the value of delegation as a collaborative process. 

Also Read: 10 Effective Team Management Skills

Benefits of Delegation in Management:

• Employee Development:

Delegation of tasks help employees to build their competence, gain experience and to take on greater responsibility, thus contributing to their career advancement.

• Increased Engagement:

Delegation in management leads to employees feeling valued in the organization, as they are empowered to take on new challenges and be accountable. This automatically increases their engagement with the company and its values. 

• Increased Productivity:

Delegating tasks makes the work of a manager more efficient, as he can now focus on tasks that require the most attention. This increase in productivity directly leads to better outcomes for the company.  

• Team Collaboration:

Delegation in management leads to a more collaborative culture. Employees come together, under the wing of a manager, to achieve shared goals and outcomes.

• Leadership Development:

Delegation of tasks to employees makes them more accountable because of the responsibility that comes along with it. As they take on more responsibility, they develop leadership skills and gain valuable experience in managing tasks. This promotes potential future leaders within the organization.

Tips for Effective Delegation in Management:

• Choose Tasks Carefully:

If you want to delegate tasks effectively, you should be aware of your employee’s skill, experience and his developmental needs. Only delegate those tasks that align well with your employee’s capacity. 

• Provide Necessary Resources:

Make sure that your team members are equipped with all the resources required for the completion of their tasks. Lack of resources can be detrimental to its progress and can even strain relations.

• Offer Support:

Try to be available for questions, guidance and assistance in case of any challenges faced by your team members. This would boost their morale and this support will show that you are invested in the employee’s success. 

• Provide Constructive Feedback:

When you delegate tasks, it is incumbent upon you to see if they are performed to a satisfactory degree. Because of lapses in communication, there are times when you fail to convey how exactly the employee should carry out the task. This can be bridged by providing constructive feedback, highlighting strengths and suggesting areas of improvement.

Also Read: Delegating Tasks for New Managers – Top 6 Tips and Techniques

Learn with DT Evolve:

As a manager, you need to be good at strategic thinking and forward planning. If you are looking to improve these essential skills, DT Evolve has a course for you. This course covers techniques that will help you effectively analyze data and improve your strategic thinking. It covers all of the key aspects of lateral thinking and demonstrates how to use its key techniques to improve your brain power and creative thinking step by step. Most importantly, you’ll be able to use what you’ve learned right away to become a more effective and efficient supervisor. Here’s the link to the course, Strategic Thinking and Forward Planning.

Conclusion:

In this blog you learned what delegation in management means, and how it works. We then talked about the benefits of delegating tasks in the workplace, like employee development, increased productivity, team collaboration, and leadership development. We finally suggested some tips that can help you to effectively delegate tasks, and these included choosing tasks carefully, providing support and all the necessary resources, and providing constructive feedback. All this would help you to perform your duties as a manager in a much better way.