Delegating to Succeed through Others

“Never tell a person how to do things.
Tell them what to do and they will
surprise you with their ingenuity.”
General George Patton

Most managers and supervisors have heard about delegation. We have read about it. We know that it is important for supervisors to practice. But, like many of the skills presented in this book, very few managers or supervisors take the time to study and practice how to be an effective delegator. Yet to be successful in their jobs, the concept of delegation is vitally important to supervisors and managers.

There are many benefits to effective delegation.

1.  Delegation extends the results from what one person can accomplish to what many people can accomplish. By involving others, we have the potential to get more things accomplished in our area of influence. In addition, we are likely to get new ideas and approaches to solve problems by tapping the input and brain power of others.

2.  Delegation frees up our time to get the most important things accomplished. Many of the tasks that supervisors and managers do can be completed by their employees. By delegating routine and ongoing tasks, managers will have time for more critical tasks, for leadership activities, and for innovation and problem prevention.

3.  Delegation develops our employees. When we delegate tasks to employees, we in effect say, “You’ve got what it takes to do this job.” This will enhance levels of trust between the employee and supervisor. Delegation is a critical employee development tool.

4.  Delegation helps to empower our employees by taking the decision-making process to the appropriate level. Decisions involving problems at different levels of the organization are often better if they are made by the people who are actually doing the work. Making decisions at levels where employees are making the product or dealing with customers fosters motivation and a sense of ownership for the task at hand.