Professional Development: Part 3 - The Art of Delegation

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     Welcome to the third article in EMS Magazine's Professional Development series. These articles will examine fundamental concepts and structures that underlie successful leadership. In this installment we examine the art of delegation.

     You've finally caught a break at work and are ready to kick back with a cup of coffee. Suddenly, here comes your boss. "Since you're the new guy on the shift," he says, "I have a project I'm delegating to you." He tells you he needs an inventory of all your station's oxygen supplies, and the hydrostatic test dates on all the O2 cylinders. "Oh," he adds over his shoulder as he walks out, "I need it by end of business tomorrow." What you're thinking right now may not be printable in a family magazine.

     Is this delegation? I'd call it an assignment. In my experience, delegation is one of the most misused terms I hear. Just what is delegation? How would you define it?

     In short, when you delegate, you are sharing your authority, responsibility and accountability. Delegation is a leadership tool that allows leaders to develop subordinates-to maximize the subordinate's potential and ability to meet organizational goals and objectives. It should be a reward, recognizing that a person is ready for more responsibility and providing an opportunity for that person to grow.

     Often people who think they are delegating are simply assigning. In fact, there are nine principles to delegation. Let's look at each:

     1) The Right Task

     There are many tasks you might consider delegating. Is there a routine task you don't have time for? Is there an unexpected task that challenges your time-management planning? Is there a task that's not generally part of your unit's area of responsibility? Is there a task you just hate doing? Any task you've identified here is a candidate for delegation. As a supervisor, you don't have to do everything yourself; you just have to ensure problems are solved and everything gets done.

     There are some tasks you should not delegate: personnel counseling or discipline, performance evaluations, tasks that involve confidential information entrusted to you, vital tasks your supervisor expects you to handle personally. Barring those few areas, almost anything can be delegated.

     2) The Right Person

     You must really know the knowledge levels, skills and attitudes—the strengths and weaknesses—of the people you supervise. Before delegating a task to someone, determine if they're the right person for the job. Think of someone to whom you might delegate a task. Does that person have the emotional, physical and mental capabilities to handle it? If not, can they get training, education or practice to prepare for the task? Can the person work well independently? Is the person self-confident enough to accept and complete the task? Do others respect and have confidence in the person, particularly others involved in or affected by the task? Is the person willing to take on additional responsibility and really interested in the task? If your answers are yes, you are on the right track.

     3) Defined Responsibility

     You've identified the right task and selected the right person; now you must define the responsibility. You must communicate clearly exactly what the person must accomplish, the specific level of quality and quantity expected, the due date to complete the task, and who else needs to be involved. You must provide any needed background information, explain why the task is necessary, indicate how it relates to organizational goals and objectives, direct your designee to sources of additional information, and provide any additional training or education the person may need. It is imperative that both parties have a clear understanding of the task and the instructions for completing it. It is also important to communicate why you selected the individual and make clear your confidence that the individual will succeed.

     4) Sharing Authority

     Authority is the right to make decisions and take action. You must clearly define any limits to the authority you transfer to your subordinate. You may allow them to act only after you give approval; you may allow them to act and report the results to you; or you may allow them to take whatever action is needed without your prior approval or follow-up. It is critical to grant a level of authority that matches the level of responsibility. Finally, to help avoid challenges and ensure cooperation, you must make certain that others involved or affected by the task understand that you've given the person authority in their role to complete the task.

     5) Agreement

     A subordinate should have the choice to accept or refuse responsibility for the task. After you have explained the responsibilities, expectations, deadlines and level of authority, the individual must agree to complete the task. They must be willing and committed to succeed.

     6) Accountability

     Now you must hold your subordinate accountable for results. They must understand that you will compare what they produce to the specifications you agreed to earlier. Remember, you never abdicate your personal responsibility and authority. You are ultimately responsible and accountable for the outcome.

     7) Defined Communication

     Establish a timetable for regular meetings to assess progress, evaluate and address problems, and provide the opportunity for feedback. You may require periodic written reports. If so, make sure you and your subordinate are clear regarding requirements. The more complex or important the task, the more frequently you should schedule meetings or reports. You'll want to know about problems before they grow into crises or compromise the chances for success. At the same time, you'll have to balance the timing and show you trust and support your subordinate. Avoid micromanaging. Let your subordinate work without you constantly looking over his shoulder.

     8) Contingency Plans

     Once you give the task away, give your subordinate the space and freedom to recognize and correct mistakes. If something goes wrong and is not corrected or jeopardizes success, you will have to act. Focus on correcting the behavior that led to the mistake. Keep an open door if your subordinate needs guidance or assistance. Be prepared for them to take paths you might not have chosen to complete the task. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

     9) Rewards

     Part of your job is to provide support and positive reinforcement. Reward accomplishments. If your subordinate completes a task well or early or otherwise exceeds expectations, be generous with recognition and praise.

     On the flip side, review the entire process with your subordinate to determine where improvements might be made in the future. Provide constructive feedback. You should also address any deficits to identify causes and make changes for the future. Ask how you can improve or facilitate your application of the delegation process.

     While it seems complex, there are many benefits to delegation. It benefits you, your subordinates and your organization. You and your unit benefit because you get more accomplished and your productivity goes up. You can concentrate on the most important projects. Your subordinates have opportunities to learn and improve their leadership and decision-making skills. They will experience challenges, try new things and find new motivations to succeed. You will reward those who do, and they will gain esteem. Your organization will be more efficient because you're using resources effectively and helping members grow into future leaders.

     There are reasons why supervisors are reluctant to delegate. Some feel it's wrong to share responsibility. This is a mistake. Leaders need to ensure the job gets done, but they don't have to do all the work. The leader is a part of a team—everyone must contribute. A supervisor may also fear looking bad if a subordinate does a good job. On the contrary, effective leaders recognize that everyone looks good when goals and objectives are met. I'm sure you know someone who thinks they're the only one who can do things faster and better and right. This is simply an issue of ego. Even if it's true, subordinates can learn and improve and maybe figure out a better way. Finally, some supervisors don't want to give up favorite tasks. Some fear losing control, and some simply don't know what delegation is or how to use it effectively.

• Successful Delegation: Using the Power of Other People's Help-www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm
• Delegation as a Leadership Style: Tips for Effective Delegation-https://humanresources.about.com/cs/manageperformance/a/delegation.htm
• Delegation: Delegating Authority Skills, Tasks and the Process of Effective Delegation-www.businessballs.com/delegation.htm
• The Art of Delegation-www.manager-tools.com/2005/08/the-art-of-delegation
• How to Delegate (Essential Managers Series)-Robert Heller, DK Publishing, 1998.
• If You Want It Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself! The Power of Effective Delegation-Donna M. Genett, Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press, 2004.
• Effective Delegation-Chris Roebuck, American Management Association, 1999.

     If you know your subordinates and understand the process of delegation, you can implement it. If you're aware of the barriers and know the excuses, you can defeat them. Beyond these basics, if you want to know more, there's lots of information out there. Once you have the knowledge and the will, you can delegate effectively. You, your subordinates and your organization will be better for it.

     Next time-In the next installment of this series, we'll discuss how to hire the right person every time.

     Adapted from "Delegating," Module 2, National Fire Academy Student Manual for Leadership III: Strategies for Supervisory Success, 1st Ed., 1994.

Related:

• Professional Development: Part 2 - Strategic Planning
• Professional Development: Part 1 - Becoming an EMS Leader