Effective Delegation Skills

One of the most difficult areas of a supervisor's job (especially for newly appointed supervisors) is that of delegation and one of the fundamental problems that people have when taking the step up to man­agement is their inability to delegate effectively. New managers often struggle with this, but even more seasoned leaders can default, as one of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading.

Therefore one of the most important skills that a manager can master is learning how to delegate, for the more one progresses up through the levels of management, this skill becomes increasingly important, enhancing ones productivity to great extents

Contrary to popular belief among many, being a leader does not mean you must do every task to ensure it is done properly. Being a leader includes empowering others to improve the overall organization, as well as providing the necessary tools to optimize the performance of the group. Empowering typically comes through delegating responsibilities to others. As more members get involved (and take ownership of projects and assignments) the more effective the organization will become.

Delegating has been shown to improve work efficiency and benefit the organization in ways that aren't obvious initially. In the long term however, delegating empowers the team, builds trust, motivates and allows for new and innovative ideas, which in turn leads to the de­velopment of the team members' creative and decision-making skills. Real and thoughtful delegation, with support, is a great way to actually stretch and develop people, and this is often more powerful than through periodic professional development.  For leaders, it helps you learn how to identify who is best suited to tackle tasks or projects, for at its best, delegation is empowering people to do the work they are best suited to. It allows them to invest themselves more in the work and develop their own skills and abilities. It also allows the manager to do other important work that might be more strategic or higher-level. A study by Harvard Business Review determined that delegating can actually increase organizations' income and overall efficiency. Not only does delegation empower others in the organization, but it also helps optimize the performance of the group. The better you are at delegation, the more successful you and your team will be. The difference between suc­cess and failure is often a matter of distancing yourself from a task and delegating.

Thus good delegation saves time, develops people, grooms a successor, and motivates. On the other hand, poor delegation will cause you frustration, de-motivates and confuses the other person, fails to achieve the task or purpose itself and can even cripple organizations.

As can be seen, effective delegation is therefore one of the most valuable yet difficult skills a manager can master, as successful delegation certainly takes time and effort, but the benefit it gives is enormous and invaluable. The best part however, is that this skill can be learnt and this is what this little book will help you do- hopefully provide a practical guide to boosting your own and your team's productivity through the successful art of delegation. The Book covers:Preface, Objectives of this Book, Why People do not Delegate, Barriers to Delegating- by Manager, Subordinate & Organization, Why Delegate?, Benefits of Delegation, What to Delegate, Who to Delegate to?, When to Delegate?, What should not be Delegated?, Support and Resources, Achieving the Balance: Under/ Over Delegation, Understanding Levels of Control, Key Principles of Delegation, Practical Steps to Delegate Successfully' Monitoring with Appropriate Feedback, Tools to Monitor the Delegated Task, Reviewing the Delegation Process, with Illustrations & Exercises