The ‘How To’ Of Delegation For Success
Almost every workplace either at home or at the station where a team of workers is involved, delegation is essential. The most critical question to ask yourself when you want to delegate a task is ‘At what control level do I want over the task?’
Delegation
When you acquire a perfect answer to this question get assured you are now in the right track to do the Delegation. Such a solution helps you plan on how many times to meet the person you have delegated functions to and which information you need at that level. Proper delegation always alters the leadership style that you adopt. It clears confusion between workers at different levels of work. It also doesn’t make workers less effective since everyone knows what he or she is supposed to be doing. It is therefore essential to understand what you want and communicate it.
In delegation, it is good to think of control as a shared responsibility. It should come from the one in control, that is, one delegating the work to the followers. Those being controlled should feel part of the delegation task. They should feel in control of their work since no one is commanding them. This leadership aspect should create a circle of shared responsibility with a controlled feeling. Being a leader does not mean taking total leadership with a commanding tone. It means having a shared control that is visionary. To bring about team unity leaders in such kind of leadership relies on visions already set. Shared control leadership should also be on free will, monitored and involving. Remember the entire above is associated with a dialogue where you only find it on direction with good communication.
Control in followers is not commonly seen due to the level of uncertainties on leaders. Such kind of leadership is called Laissez-Faire leadership. This kind of leadership gives someone ideas on esteem level which is not held by a prominent leader. A lot of evidence has been presented by many psychologists that suggest a lack of proper control in any work leads to work stress.
Most business leaders and it did any other leader can withstand other stress problems but not work related which comes from poor control. Authoritative and Pacesetting leadership is less applicable for an extended period without backfiring to those around it. Further, it tells the reason why leaders never use Laissez- Faire leadership since it’s very stressful for them.
Nine levels of Delegation
Now having looked what delegation mean, lets now have a look at how to delegate work using the nine levels of commissions as named by Tim Brighouse the former School Commissioner London.
1. Identify the problem, seek facts and let me decide on what to do
2. Note available option and their advantages and disadvantages them then allow me to acquire the best.
3. Show which suggestions you have come up with which is the second thought and which one seems perfect. Show the risk involved in them then waits for my directions.
4. Suggest an approval action.
5. Before you do what you intend, let me know and always wait for my approval.
6. Before doing anything inform me but if it’s a normal thing you can always continue unless I say to stop it.
7. When implementing my suggestion inform me how it is working.
8. If the recommended action is not working, always report to me.
9. Continue working if everything is settled.
When you follow the above delegation levels, you will finally be clear they are many solutions to big problems. That is especially when you want to know what is happening. This level ensures the junior staff has the message and any other communication from them is not required.
Key Skills in Delegation
Delegation is stressful, though there two critical factors required for a complete perfect commission.
1. Have knowledge of the level of control you want to achieve.
That requires a lot of self-awareness. As a good leader, you must have that awareness and proper understanding of what you want and how the work should be. Good leaders have information about how junior employees work, and they always struggle to balance the working plan to help employees grow. If you want to get what employees feel about your delegation, still have an open dialogue with them. Ask them what their feeling is as far as your leadership is concerned and what control they would prefer. Let both parties feel part of it.
2. As a good lead, you must always communicate clearly. Explain to subordinates the type of delegation you are using.
A good example is when implanting the nine delegations on children when you want them to clean their classrooms. In the first level, you tell them these ‘‘kindly children run check at your classes then come tell me for how long should it take to clean them so that I can see whether we will have enough time to wash them before school time.” Such a directive does not leave room for the child to argue but only to follow the instructions.
Alternatively, using delegation level six, you can put it like this ‘’Children, kindly run and inspect your classrooms then come to report back to me at what time is best to clean them. When you inform me when you will be doing it, I expect you to do it immediately when the time comes. Here the children have committed to you, and you will only need to remind them occasionally. Since it is not an order, such children are stakeholders of the task and must do it since they committed themselves.
Another alternative is to use last level delegation. You put it this way, ‘’Children, your classrooms require cleaning, but I don’t have a limitation of time on when you should do it. You must remember those classrooms must be clean by the time you all break for the weekend. Agreed children? By doing this, it shows all your trust is on the children and the only authority you have is to ask if cleaning happened.
Delegation like any other skill in leadership should be clear and straight. It must contain good communication to deliver the intended message and self-awareness of what you are delegating.
For you to become good at using delegation levels, it is good to practice using all of them. Doing that will sharpen your language needed which in turn makes perfect in delegation works.
