DELEGATION 101

Delegating is a key skill for managers and entrepreneurs. Leveraging competent staff, a business can both flourish and allow leaders to focus on leading, building and growing!

One of my favorite illustrations of effective delegation is found in the classic book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" authored by the late Stephen R. Covey. 

Covey had excellent insights on the topic in "7 Habits". His premise was that leaders, or producers, delegated in one of two ways:

"Gofer Delegation" which means "Go for this, go for that...tell me when it's done." An example: a construction contractor I once knew, quipped, "I just want someone who can hand me tools", when he referred to his staff needs! In the extreme sense, it is a slave. Covey calls it the producer mentality; "...roll up your sleeves and get the job done". The focus is on methods, not results. Very little, if any, investment is required or desired in developing/training people. Ironically, the results are limited because you can't supervise very many people with this approach, so growth is limited. Unless you have an overseer motivate with a whip (not legal, the last time I checked). 
    Unfortunately, leaders who major in, what Covey called, "gofer delegation", seem to share a number of these common traits:

• a disdainful, superior attitude to their employees, 
• high, even unrealistic, expectations that often result in an employee's failure, which justifies their need to do the job themselves, 
• a "production focus" results since such leaders are technicians (carpenters, plumbers, accountants, farmers, etc.) and such folks often find great enjoyment out of doing their work well instead of developing others to do the same,
• employees are often viewed as a hassle--often due to a lack of training and effective delegation-- than as a resource to develop and leverage, benefiting all concerned, and 
• they possess a strong need to control results and avoid hassles, which is ultimately counter-productive, since people can feel used & trust is often destroyed, systems aren't put in place, the business flounders and this micro-managing approach actually further frustrates the leader. 

"Stewardship delegation" which is focused on results, not methods.  It gives subordinates the choice of method but also makes them responsible for results. It takes an investment of time up-front but the return can be enhanced, both in quantity and quality. Covey notes up-front commitment and understanding are required in five areas:

• Desired results - Covey used the example of "green and clean" when he delegated his yard's care to his young son. Clear, mutual understanding is needed!
• Identify parameters, guidelines and pitfalls. Sometimes, a certain method must be honored for safety, regulatory or perhaps liability reasons. Point out the potential minefields in a task!
• Identify resources that can be used, whether financial, technical, human or organizational. An example: time draining technical glitches on a software program might require reaching out to a computer technician inside or outside the company.
• Accountability - Set up standards of performance and the times when evaluation will take place. Obvious examples are the scheduled performance review many employers do or a report card for students..  
• Rewards & consequences - Specify what will happen...good and bad, in terms of financial rewards, psychic rewards, natural or actual consequences. If someone isn't measuring up, coaching can be an excellent way to salvage the investment in that person before an abrupt termination!

As noted previously, Stephen Covey illustrated "stewardship delegation" effectively with an experience involving his young son. His seven-year-old son, Stephen had volunteered to take care of the family's yard during a family meeting designed to spread out the family's workload. Covey explained how sound delegation practices can work with the youngest person or the most mundane, low-skill job. Specifying that he wanted a yard that was "clean and green", and with patient training and a few rough patches, Covey noted that his son, Stephen, "...kept it greener and cleaner than it have ever been " under his own stewardship. 

Covey's bottom line...was that effective delegation is perhaps the best indication of effective management but it takes a commitment to manage, not just produce.


*Source: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" authored by the late Stephen R. Covey, pg. 172-179.