Developing Delegates

To allow delegates to develop their skills, you need to offer them support and help. These include making available the resources and facilities for staff to be trained on a continuous basis, setting achievable targets, and providing effective appraisals.

Combining tasks

By broadening a delegate’s skills, you can appoint that delegate to handle a complete task whose individual elements would previously have been done by a number of people. For example, the financing of customer purchases at one company was split between five people and took seven working days to complete. It was calculated that most of this time was spent handing the project between staff who also had higher priority work to finish first. A decision was taken to allocate the whole task to one person backed up by a specialist team. The completion time was cut to four hours.

Training staff

It is ineffective and demoralizing to delegate a task to someone who lacks the necessary skills. Never place people in new or changed roles without first providing the training they need, and always keep the option of further training available. Ask suitably skilled delegates too if there are any areas that need developing – this can be highly motivational. Always build delegation on a foundation of on-going training at all levels so that suitably qualified people will be available whenever you need them.

Choosing a training programme

Consider budgeting for a certain amount of staff training each year. Compare course details, and remember that the cheapest training programme may be a false economy in the long term.

Reassessing abilities

Delegating a task will give you the opportunity to assess a delegate’s abilities. If the delegate has worked for you before, you will have a chance to reassess his or her performance in the light of any new demands and challenges. Always keep delegates’ performances under constant review, since new tasks are likely to reveal either hidden talents or areas in which deficiencies become apparent. Reassessment of delegates sometimes reveals that a staff member is being used for tasks that are far beneath his or her potential abilities.

Training to communicate

When the director realized that problems in the workshop were the result of poor communications, he initiated a training programme for one of his key staff.

Case study

The efficiency and reputation of a major vehicle service centre was being weakened by interdepartmental resentment. When promises were made to customers that could not be fulfilled, the counter and the workshop staff blamed each other. To build an understanding between the two teams, the director decided to develop workshop manager Ryan’s communication skills and give him an opportunity to work with the counter staff. Ryan was then able to demonstrate some of the shop-front issues to staff in the workshop, and vice versa. When required, he was also able to assist in situations where customers had technical inquiries.

Being in contact with the whole job gave Ryan great satisfaction. Customers benefited from his specialist knowledge, and the conflict between the teams ended.

Coaching delegates

When delegating, a manager takes on the role of a coach, talking to staff and encouraging their development. One of the most important points to discuss with delegates is whether they are tackling tasks in the most efficient way. Delegates who are keen to impress may not wish to ask for help, so ensure that they are working within their skill levels. If they are not, provide the appropriate training or back-up to improve their abilities.

Finding time to develop staff

Consider setting aside some regular time every week to keep your staff informed of any new developments and to concentrate on developing skills in the specific areas in which you are keen to delegate work.

Setting targets

One of the most effective ways of developing delegates is through setting targets. However, set targets at levels that both you and the delegate consider attainable through good performance. This will enable both of you to anticipate and focus on areas of the task in which the delegate’s skills need to improve. This type of on-the-job training will help the delegate to complete the task and move on to more difficult ones.

Beating expectations

Staff can exceed expectations if you set them ambitious but achievable targets and let them make their own decisions about how to attain them. This hands-off approach has two major benefits: delegates are motivated by being given the freedom to use their initiative and improve their own performance, and the organization as a whole benefits through the improved efficiency demonstrated by the newly motivated workforce.

Do’s and don’ts

• Do ensure that employees are aware that training is available if needed.

• Do thank those who have performed well.

• Do tell delegates that they should ask others for help when needed.

• Do ask people what additional skills they feel they require.

• Do encourage delegates to use their own initiative to achieve objectives.

• Don’t forget that financial reward is not always the most effective motivator.

• Don’t stifle creativity by emphasizing rules over results.

• Don’t assume that all criticism is always discouraging.

• Don’t set obscure targets that could seem unattainable.

• Don’t neglect a delegate who may be struggling with a task.

Praising effectively

Deliver praise to a delegate as soon as possible after the occasion that merits it. Be genuinely warm, but not effusive, and be specific about the aspects you have most admired. Comparisons are sometimes beneficial: if the delegate has outshone others in certain ways, make that a point of admiration. The object of praise is to thank and to motivate, and thus to establish a foundation on which to build still-better performance.

Offering rewards

People are paid for meeting expectations, so avoid incentive schemes that pay bonuses for expected performance. Remember that the delegator and the delegate share the same goals. You want the job to be done well, and they want to do the job well. Their earnings are likely to improve as they continue to develop their skills. So try to ensure that performance meets or exceeds expectations, and reward exceptional performance separately.