Tweet

Delegation - What is the role of a Manager?

Written by: Debbie Robinson

Article Overview: Are you reluctant to let go of tasks because you fear someone else will do them better? People that struggle to delegate often stock pile their knowledge. They aren’t good at sharing skills, as they like to feel that they are needed. Being successful does not mean being that best at everything, but knowing when to use the right people to help.

Delegation - What is the role of a Manager?



Frequently, many managers find themselves firefighting, struggling to get the job done. They are unable to devote sufficient time to long-term planning, creating a company or departmental vision, surveying alternatives, reviewing the competition, and developing new products. Most importantly, they are unable to devote enough time to developing their people.

Some managers are reluctant to delegate or entrust tasks because they fear someone else will do a better job and this could lose them credibility. Managers that do not delegate tend to stock pile their knowledge as a form of justification of their position and importance. They are poor at sharing skills as they have a need to feel indispensible. It is important to be aware that being successful does not mean having to be the best at everything but knowing when to involve the right peoples' skills and knowledge.

Telling or dictating can be perceived as the quick and easy solution. It can give the manager a feeling of being in control. This is however, a misleading notion. The manager's style may upset and de-motivate his staff but they don't have the nerve to show it or offer feedback. The outcome is that they are compliant in his presence but may behave with resentment and poor performance when his back is turned. He is anything but in control!

There is another problem when managers tell or dictate and that is one of 'recall'. Simply, we do not remember very well something we are told or do not experience firsthand. How often have you been a passenger in a car and not been able to recall the route when asked, simply because you were not actively involved in the options and decisions taken?

The manager has to repeatedly provide instructions simply because the employee has not been involved in identifying options, potential obstacles and the selection of the most appropriate course of action. This is a vicious circle that needs to be replaced if productivity and motivation is to be achieved.

Delegation should not be considered as avoiding responsibility by the manager but as giving a task the time and effort it deserves. Managers that adopt a coaching style know that entrusting clearly defined tasks to employees helps to build, not only skill levels but also motivation, commitment and pride. Having the responsibility to deliver a task with the correct and fitting level of support engenders a real sense of purpose in the person or team nominated to deliver. It is important to remember however, that delegation is not abdication; it is the managers' responsibility to check periodically that all is well and to provide support as appropriate.

Delegation demonstrates to employees that the manager trusts and values the others abilities and helps build confidence and strengthens teams. It is important to establish clearly at the outset what is needed from the person or team, then step back and allow them to get with it.

It is an undeniable fact that growing people is enlightened self interest rather than some idealism that offers little added value. Empowering and enabling employees to take on interesting and challenging tasks not only ensures the manager can get on with his more strategic function but promotes job satisfaction and with that commitment and loyalty. This helps ensure that the skills base is maintained and developed reducing the exposure to the company of losing its life blood - committed, knowledgeable and skilled employees.

If a manager delegates using the principles of coaching, he will get the job done to a higher standard and develop his people simultaneously, that is the role we want managers to fulfill.

Related Articles
  What is Effective Delegation
  The Best Managers, Manage People!
  Is the best manager skill management delegation?
  The Critical Skill of Delegation
  Develop Your Staff With Effective Management Delegation

Article Tags: creating a company, credibility, decisions, developing new products, easy solution, firefighting, job, justification, motivation, nbsp, nerve, notion, obstacles, poor performance, presence, productivity, resentment, stock pile, vicious circle
Referred by: http://www.dcjaconsultancy.com



Related Forum Posts
Outlook Business Contact Manager - I've just installed the new Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager and am testing it out to see how good of a CRM system it is. I like the concept because it works right within your Outlook and I already have all my contacts and emails here. Does anybody have any experience with Business Contact Manager for Outlook?
Re: what position to request? - Hi Michael, Great suggestion from David, or you could try something around a design consultancy, How about Website Design Consultant, Design and Development Manager, Website Support and Development Manager or maybe Internet Business Development Consultant. Ultimately whatever you are comfortable with and good luck for the future, Mal.
Re: Are we defined by what we do for a living? - Interesting subject - as you know Kevin, I've discussed some of Eckart Tolle's materials before and this topic is covered in his latest book. In particular - The roles we play in society and our identification with the role. His warning is to be aware of your different roles and not get to wrapped up in your identity with the role. One example he uses is the Doctor who looks at patients as statistics and merely a case #. When this happens, the doctor no longer views the patient as an emotional being and more of a case study. The point is - that the doctor is so identified with his role that he has lost touch with the spririt and essence of the human lying in front of him. When we get too attached to our roles - even as parents - we tend to take them very seriously and believe in the role, for example, perceiving a child as uneducated and in need of constant supervision, when in fact the child is very aware and often living more consciously than the adult. The roles have value, just be aware that it's a role. Are we defined by what we do for a living? Only if we are unconscious of the roles we play. You can still have fun with it - just be aware.
Level 4 - Manager - Looks like I'm the first to Level 4! I'm a Manager!
When Webhost providers go bad - I've had my websites on IPower for the last two years or so. I didn't really care much for their interface - geocities has one that's much better (but they angered me so I refuse to use them anymore) but I was used to it. For the last several months they've been "transitioning" to a new system, and now, finally, it's upon me, and I really, really hate their File Manager system. They've done [i:2kaa5kss]one [/i:2kaa5kss]good thing - you can now see the date that you last updated any particular file. Before that you never knew what date anything had been uploaded. But the rest of it is just clunky and bad and quite frankly, inept! I just shot off a pretty angry complaint letter to their "Help" desk, not that I think it will do any good. So I'm in the hunt for a new web service provider. Anybody here familiar with Geocities, but have some service provide [i:2kaa5kss]other [/i:2kaa5kss]than Geocities who has the same type of File Manager system as they do?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

3 Key Factors For Raising Capital

Purchasing Real Estate using the SBA 504 Loan

Let's Skip the Offshore Horror Stories

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.