Monitoring the Assignment
Once you’ve delegated the work, shift into monitoring mode to ensure that everything goes as planned; don’t just assume all is going well until you’ve heard otherwise. You’ll want to check on how the work is progressing, provide support if needed, and anticipate and address any problems without hovering or hounding.
Track the delegated assignment
Regularly check progress to make sure the assignment is on track to be completed correctly and on time. Confirm that all interim milestones—which you discussed with the employee when you made the assignment—have been met. Saying something like “I’ll need to see the proposed design revisions by next Friday” reflects your proper control of the work as manager; adding “Let’s meet Wednesday to see how you’re progressing and discuss any problems” signals that you’re monitoring the work and prepared to offer guidance if necessary.
Depending on the number of tasks and the complexity of the delegated work you’re overseeing, consider using one or more of the following tools to facilitate monitoring:
• A file folder for each assignment
• A tracking form or log (what, who, milestone dates, deadline, and so on)
• A large wall calendar or dry-erase board
• Verbal updates in staff meetings
• Written status reports, delivered on a prearranged schedule
• Project management and tracking software
• Online collaboration tools and shared calendars
Close monitoring gives you opportunities to provide coaching and feedback. Keep in mind, however, that the ultimate goal is successful and on-time completion—not how the work was done. Monitor the assignment without micromanaging, allowing your employee to learn and grow as he or she tackles the work. Above all, support your staff member both when things are going well and when mistakes are made.
Provide support
While monitoring an assignment, continue to provide support, but without being intrusive. These tips can help you strike the right balance of feedback and follow-up:
• Notify the appropriate individuals of the authority you have granted your staff member in delegating this assignment.
• Review resource needs, and ensure that appropriate supplies are available.
• Continue to provide any information that may have bearing on the assignment, such as reference materials, reports, or changes in plans or procedures.
• Point out any potential difficulties you may see, based on your experience with similar projects.
• Clarify when you want to be involved, such as when it looks as though a commitment won’t be met or when major problems—such as a misunderstanding with a peer—arise.
• After the work begins, intercede with advice or directions only if requested.
• Remember to focus on results and not on the methods or approach used to achieve them.
The following example illustrates a productive technique for providing support. Jessica decides to delegate the upcoming launch of a line of business productivity apps for tablets to Jamil after determining that he has the required skills. Jamil knows business productivity software well and has worked on product launches for device apps before (although he hasn’t led one). He also likes working independently and is eager to prove himself. As the weeks pass, Jessica sees steady progress and is pleased with Jamil’s sensitivity to the strategic timing of the launch. She’s pleased, too, that she has more time for her other projects. By chance, however, Jessica discovers that the marketing group, which is integral to the success of the product launch, is overtaxed with other work. She could mention her concerns directly to the marketing group, but she’s worried that doing so might make Jamil feel as though she’s taking back responsibility for the launch. How can she best support Jamil while ensuring that the launch is carried out successfully?
Because Jamil doesn’t have as much experience as Jessica does in dealing with problems in a product launch and may not know how to handle the competing marketing deadlines, Jessica elects to point out to him the possible difficulties she sees based on her experience with similar projects. In that discussion—taking care not to undermine the authority delegated to him—she supplies him with the information she learned about the marketing group, “because it may have a bearing on the assignment.”
The sensitive manner in which Jessica provided support to Jamil helped him address the situation independently without undermining his authority or consuming a lot of Jessica’s time.
Anticipate and address problems
Be alert to early signs of trouble. If your employee hits a roadblock (for example, a manager from another department refuses to provide data) or begins to fall behind (maybe a strike slows parts delivery), it may be necessary to intervene. You don’t want to solve every problem that employees encounter in their assignments—that would defeat the purpose of delegation— but do use coaching, encouragement, and added resources as you see fit to help them help themselves.
When an assignment falls off track, take the following steps to right it:
• Create a plan of action and a timetable for addressing the problems. Work with your staff member to make sure your solution is realistic, and have the employee agree to the plan once it’s final.
• Offer additional resources (such as staff or funding), if available, to provide assistance.
• Complete selected parts of the assignment to lighten the load on the employee, set an example, and ensure success.
• Delegate upward (advocate to upper management on behalf of your staff member) when escalation is necessary for a successful outcome. For instance, you might need to ask your boss to deal with the manager mentioned earlier who would not share their data.
While addressing problems, be on the lookout for reverse delegation, which can occur when a staff member to whom you’ve delegated an assignment either wants to return the entire job to you or, more likely, subtly shifts it back onto your plate by expecting you to solve problems and make decisions. Resist the temptation to step in. Instead, continue to help your employee complete the job.
For a deeper understanding of how reverse delegation can hobble you, imagine this scenario: You’re racing down the hall, late to a meeting. One of your less experienced project managers, Chrysanthi, stops you and says, “We’ve got a serious problem on that project you assigned me last week.” She quickly outlines the issue. You don’t have the information to make an on-the-spot decision, so you quickly reply, “Let me think about it.” You’ve just allowed what Harvard Business Review authors William Oncken Jr. and Donald L. Wass famously called a monkey to leap from Chrysanthi’s back to yours; you’re now working for your subordinate. A better response would have been to ask Chrysanthi to draw up possible solutions, make a recommendation, and then brief you. Employees try to hand off monkeys when they lack the desire, ability, or confidence to confront them. Helping employees develop needed problem-solving skills can be more time-consuming than tackling problems yourself, but it saves time in the long run, and it fosters the development of a trusting relationship. When you encourage employees to handle their own monkeys, they acquire new skills—and you have time to do your own job.
The following strategies can help deflect reverse delegation and keep assignments moving:
• Encourage the employee to come up with her own solutions or options.
• Help the employee assess the situation.
• Confirm your confidence in the employee’s ability to make decisions.
• Provide positive reinforcement for the work done so far.
• Provide coaching to help the employee refine new skills.
In some situations, such as a missed deadline, you’ll need to reassess your staff member’s ability to successfully complete an assignment. Support the employee, but provide assistance only as necessary. Avoid placing blame for difficulties beyond your employee’s control, but make sure she takes responsibility for mistakes that are clearly her own. And remember that mistakes should be viewed as growth opportunities rather than punishable offenses. Only in extreme cases—say, when failure to meet established goals will have a serious negative impact on other projects—should you consider rescinding the delegation.
Each delegation you make can be a learning experience—for you and for others in your organization. Next we’ll look at assessing completed assignments and sharing what you learn with others.