ALT-4 The Importance of Learning to Delegate
To some managers and supervisors, delegation does not come easily or naturally. Many individuals are really only satisfied that work will be completed to their satisfaction if they complete it themselves, or very closely supervise one of their team members.
In fact, delegation is a crucial part of any management role. Managers that cannot or will not delegate are not good managers. Being a control freak can be a negative influence throughout the workplace and is ultimately a big drain on productivity.
So why is delegation so important?
Delegation creates a much more effective team
Delegation optimizes the resource in the team. It frees up the manager's time to focus on the most critical tasks in hand, and creates a structure of individuals that can provide cover for one another and the manager, as required. As a simple principle, the manager's time is always better spent on activities that improve the team's performance and support strategic objectives. Simple, repeatable tasks are always better delegated as they are not such a critical thing as to take up management time. Delegation multiplies the availability of management time, by creating a team of empowered, skilled employees.
Delegation creates trust
Employees like to feel that their manager trusts them to do a good job. Trust is a crucial element in the manager/subordinate relationship. Without trust, the relationship can never really progress. Studies show that employees are motivated most strongly by the right kind of working environment, where they are given different opportunities and responsibilities. Delegation enables this. It enables employees to take on more responsibility and to demonstrate that they are willing to learn and adapt. This is a good motivator and a great way to build strong relationships with team members.
Delegation is a vital part of the manager's career progression
In order to progress, all managers must develop successors (that is, individuals who can take over from the manager when he/she moves to another role). Developing a successor depends entirely on being willing and able to delegate. Managers must present their successors with the opportunity to show what they are capable of and to demonstrate that they are capable and willing to take on the responsibilities. Managers who refuse to delegate often remain in the same role for many years.
Delegation brings new perspective and helps with continuous improvement
The process of delegation often provides suggestions and ideas for improvement. The requirement to scrutinize and understand the process often yields new ideas about how to do things better, either in the short or longer term. Without delegation, this seldom happens, and old ideas and bad habits become engrained as the norm. Delegation helps bring fresh eyes to the process, which nearly always leads to some level of improvement.
Delegation is a fundamental principle of management. Tasks should be directed from the top down and it is important to pass on responsibility as much as possible to free up management time for more strategic activities. Mostly, employees want to take on new work and the absence of delegation stifles their interest, their productivity and, overall, the business's performance.
