The Art of Delegation Revisited

Michael Touchstone is a featured speaker at #EMSWorldExpo2015, scheduled for September 15-19 in Las Vegas, NV. Register at EMSWorldExpo.com.

Delegating tasks is not the same thing as assigning them. Though the difference may seem negligible, it’s not.

How do you delegate tasks to others? Do you evaluate the ability of the person to whom you’re delegating? Do you define clear terms of success? Do you know how the other person feels about the new task or function? If you can answer yes to each question, you’ve delegated.

Conversely, are the people you’re delegating tasks to prepared? Do they know exactly what they’re expected to do and the scope of their authority? Do they have the opportunity to decline? If you answered no to some or all of these questions, you’ve given an assignment.

There is a right way to delegate and there’s much more to it than simply assigning tasks. Including the person you plan to delegate duties to in the process is one often overlooked aspect. Ensuring the person knows or can learn what to do, how to do it, and why to do it is also import. Whether you are a supervisor, manager or executive, understanding and utilizing this important skill will make you and your employees’ work lives better. It will free up time for you and help your subordinates grow.

What is the “Right Way” to Delegate?

There is more than one “right way,” but all of the resources articulate similar processes and principles. In an earlier iteration of this concept, I turned to the National Fire Academy (NFA) Leadership series and adapted “Delegating,” from the National Fire Academy Student Manual for Leadership III: Strategies for Supervisory Success. I discussed the nine principles of delegation presented in the NFA course:

1. The right task.
2. The right person.
3. Defined responsibility.
4. Sharing authority.
5. Agreement.
6. Accountability.
7. Defined communications.
8. Contingency plans.
9. Rewards.¹

There are also “steps of successful delegation” that nicely compliment the principles listed above. They are:

1. Define the task.
2. Select the individual or team.
3. Assess ability and training needs.
4. Explain the reasons.
5. State required results.
6. Consider resources required.
7. Agreed deadlines.
8. Support and communicate.
9. Feedback on results.²

And finally, it’s been said about delegation that “there is substantial agreement in this country on the desirability of delegation,” “wise delegation is an important training device and helps build morale,” and “delegation results in resiliency and flexibility, and adds strength to organizations.”³ These are three good reasons to follow the principles and use the steps.

What —and What Not—to Delegate

Some tasks and functions lend themselves to delegation, while others do not. Some things you can delegates are detail work; information gathering; repetitive assignments; surrogate roles, such as attending meetings or giving a presentation; and duties and responsibilities an individual will likely have in the future.⁴ Things that should never be delegated include discipline; performance evaluations; counseling; items that have been personally assigned to you; politically sensitive tasks; confrontations arising from interpersonal conflict; and confidential or sensitive action.^4,5

Reluctance and Barriers

Many supervisors, managers and leaders feel like they can perform tasks better than the folks who work for them; the prevailing notion is if the subordinate fails, “I’ll get blamed.” There is perhaps an element of truth to this but usually it’s a fallacy. Managers sometimes lack confidence in subordinates. Others are risk averse and unwilling to let go. Some will say it’s too much work and it’s easier to just do it myself. Finally, some folks just don’t know how to delegate effectively. It does take some upfront work; however, the rewards are worth the effort and the risk. Further, if you follow the principles and the steps, you will minimize the risk.

Clarity of Delegation

Whether you are delegating a task or receiving a delegated task, it is critically important to understand what is expected, and the level of authority granted. The first level of delegation involves issuing basic instructions with the direction to wait before taking any action beyond those instructions. There is no freedom or authority granted, and no real delegation. As you move through the levels of actual delegation, employees gain more authority to act. Those levels of delegation include:

1. Gather information, collect the data, then I’ll decide.
2. Look into the problem, come up with alternative solutions, determine the pros and cons of each and I’ll decide.
3. Tell me the situation, recommend a course of action, then we’ll decide.
4. Analyze the situation, choose a course of action and wait for approval.
5. Make a decision, communicate intended action, wait for approval.
6. Make a decision, communicate intended action, proceed unless I say not to.
7. Take action and report outcome.
8. Take action and only report if unsuccessful.
9. Take action, no additional communication needed.^2,6

As you can see, more freedom is given until your subordinate essentially “owns” the responsibility.

This brief article is only an introduction. In order for you to develop the skills, and practice the principles, you’ll have to invest time and effort. Much of the effort will be reading, studying and learning the steps and processes. You will have to overcome your reluctance, step up and begin to invest in yourself, your subordinates and in your organization by taking action. Done well, delegation will give you more time to keep looking at the big picture and the future of the organization. You will have helped your subordinates grow and you will contribute to succession. You can truly create a situation where everyone benefits, a rare triple win—you win, your subordinates win and the organization wins. It starts with you choosing to do it!

References

1. Touchstone M. Professional Development: Part 3—The Art of Delegation. EMS World, www.emsworld.com/10320475.

2. Chapman A. Delegation: Delegating authority skills, tasks and the process of effective delegation. Businessballs.com, www.businessballs.com/delegation.htm.

3. Newman WH. “Overcoming Obstacles to Effective Delegation.” In Litterer JA, Organizations: Structure and Behavior Vol. 1, 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1969.

4. Economy P, Nelson B. Managing for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, 1996.

5. Williams S. Delegating Strategically. Raj Soin College of Business, Wright State University, www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/delegating.htm.
Webber RA. Management: Basic Elements of Managing Organizations, Revised Ed. Homewood, IL: Richard D, Irwin, Inc., 1979.

Michael Touchstone, BS, EMT-P, is chief of EMS training for the Philadelphia Fire Department. He has been involved in EMS since 1980 as an EMT, paramedic and instructor. Contact him at m-touch@comcast.net.