The Process of Delegation

The Process of Delegation

Introduction

Delegation is a very important skill that all organizational leaders, team leaders, or project managers must master. Delegation is a process that involves giving assignments to subordinates and requiring them to report back on the effectiveness of their assignments. In other words, delegation involves getting work or assignments done or completed through others. If done correctly, delegation can enable managers to achieve more than they would have accomplished on their own. This essay will briefly discuss the steps that can be followed in delegating a policy formulation assignment or task.

 Background Analysis

Philip Thomas is required to draft a new sick leave policy for employees. Instead of doing it himself, he chooses to delegate the policy preparation for his team? What steps should Thomas follow to ensure that the delegation is effective?

Steps for Effective Delegation

Thomas can achieve effective delegation by following six steps highlighted below:

1. Definition of goals or expected outcomes
2. Identification of team members

• Soliciting the views of team members

1. Giving team members authority
2. Scheduling review sessions
3. Periodic Follow-ups

Definition of Goals

The first step in the delegation process is to define goals or expectations. By doing this, Thomas will make it possible for the team he chooses for the task to have a clear picture of what is expected of them (Lyons, 2016). This will also help them work on the task with a clear focus.

Identification of Team Members

Considering that Thomas will be delegating the task of drafting the policy to his team, he will need to identify the individuals that will constitute the team. In choosing team members, he should be cautious and ensure that he chooses individuals who will be willing to take upon additional responsibilities and who will be welcoming to the new challenge.

Soliciting the ideas/views of Team Members

Considering that he will be the one in charge of the project, Thomas must already have an idea of what he expects from the team members, and he must also have an execution strategy in mind. Once he has prescribed the expected outcomes and selected team members, he will then need to share his strategy with the team and hear what they have to say about his approach. This third step will also provide an opportunity for Thomas to refine his strategy based on the views of the rest of the team.

Give the Team Authority

Once all views have been exchanged in step four above, Thomas will then need to give or avail to the selected team members, all the resources needed to complete the assignment successfully. In this case, giving authority may involve availing resources such as money, people, or equipment, and it may also involve providing the team with critical information that it may need to complete the project successfully (Lyons, 2016).

Schedule Follow-Up

            The fifth step in the delegation involves scheduling checkpoints to review the progress of the task. Thomas can schedule review sessions or periodic meetings where he will be able to discuss the progress of the task with the team members or discuss and address any problems or challenges that may arise along the way.

Follow-Up

This is the last step in the delegation, and it involves actually meeting with the team members at designated or scheduled reviewed sessions or periodic meetings to discuss the progress of the assignment (Lyons, 2016).

Conclusion

The focus of this essay was to discuss the six steps in the delegation process and how they can be applied in the policy drafting process. The six steps identified include goal definition, choosing team members or individuals to delegate to, soliciting views from selected individuals, empowering individuals to work on their tasks or giving them authority, scheduling review sessions, and making periodic follow-ups.

References

Lyons, P. R. (2016). Making the case for manager delegation of authority. Human Resource Management International Digest.