Manager's Minute 

When you've only got a minute for management you haven't got a minute to waste.

As a manager your main function is to get things done, and to get things done you have to get other people to do them, and to get other people to do them you have to get them to understand what needs to be done. And here is where the problem lies, getting them to understand what needs to be done and then getting them to do it.

So today we are going to talk about the art of delegation.

The first step is

Be clear on what it is you want done.

There is nothing so frustrating to all involved as unclear instructions

You need to know what needs to be done. What is needed to get it done. Who will you get to do it. Who will be involved in doing it. By when it should be done. And. What it should look like if done properly.

So before you delegate, ruminate, think it through. Decide on and describe the performance expectations of this task.

Now that you know what you want done and the way that you want it done you can

Inform all participants

All too often we inform/instruct the person that we are delegating the task to and then expect them to notify all others involved. This is not a good strategy. Often there are "relationship" problems and/or "rank" problems that get in the way. The poor delagee (the one delegated to) then has the problem of trying to elicit the support and co-operation of others.

When you delegate a job that requires the input of others make sure that you inform them and let them know what will be expected of them.

Ensure Understanding

One of the main causes of conflict in any relationship is misunderstanding. In the workplace this is all too prevalent. I can't tell you how many times we deal with complaints that the work wasn't done properly and when we ask "Did the person know what to do" the answer is "He/she should have known"

Let's understand something clearly here. As a manager it is your responsibility to make sure that they know what to do and how to do it. If the job bombs it is your career on the line. You are never going to get sympathy because the people who report to you do not perform well.

Now ensuring understanding is not getting the delagee to repeat the message/instruction. This just shows that they have a functioning short term memory, it does not show that the understood the instruction. Let the delagee explain to you what they think that they have to do. You need to know that they have the same picture that you have.

=> This video clip will demonstrate <=

Ensure Capability

Can the person actually do the job? This goes far beyond merely the skills to get the job done. You must ensure that the person has access to the resources necessary to get the job done. These resources will, depending on the nature of the task include:-

Skills

Equipment

Authority

Time

Place

Budget

Assistance

Key question. How will doing this job affect the delagee's other jobs?

Monitor Progress

How often have you experienced the situation where you either give, or were given a task, and there is no review until delivery day. (which all too often is Judgement Day)

You have given the task. You have an expectation of certain results. You are the one who will benefit from a job well done. So. It is up to you to make sure that you get what you want. Leaving the task in the hands of someone else is foolish.

When you design the task identify critical progress points and make sure that you get feedback regarding progress and achievement. The more often you review the more likely you are to have a successful project and the fewer problems you will experience.

Key principle 1 - Never presume competence.

The less experience you have with ability of the person that you have delegated to the closer you must monitor the job. Once experience proves competence you can relax your management style, but that does not mean that you must not stay on top of things it just means that you do not have to always be on top of the delagee

Key principle 2 - You can manage from a distance, but. Never distance yourself from your management

That's it for today, I look forward to your comments and experiences related to this message. Mail them to me at johan@motivate.co.za

PS: Please pass this message on to any of your business colleagues you feel may benefit from it.

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Quote for the week

The response to communication is always based on

the interpretation of the recipient and not the intent of the sender

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