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Burnette Insurance Blog
As a business owner, know the difference between delegating and dumping a task!
1/21/2012 11:28:16 AM
You have purchased Georgia business insurance because you want your small business to be protected from financial risks. How do you manage that other common business risk, delegation?
Delegation is assigning a task that is normally part of the manager’s role to another member of staff. Deciding on the task that is to be delegated, the person who is to be assigned to it, and how the desired outcome is to be achieved, requires skills of analysis, communication and negotiation. Some risk-averse managers prefer not to delegate.
Done skilfully, delegation relieves a manager who is overloaded and develops staff. However, it’s important to be aware of some of the pitfalls of badly handled delegation:
• Be sure that both parties are clear about your expectations, including deadlines and the limits of authority.
• Don’t delegate only the least desirable tasks; it will be seen as dumping tasks and may be resented.
• Delegating a task does not mean that you are no longer responsible for it. You are still accountable for the outcome even though you are not actually doing the task yourself.
• Be available to give advice when it’s requested, but let employees find their own solutions to problems that arise. Micro-managing and expecting the task to be done your way is counter-productive: it doesn’t save time, and it doesn’t develop your employees.
Georgia business insurance can provide protection from many measurable, tangible financial risks. The benefits of delegation may be more difficult to quantify, and poorly handled delegation can backfire. Effective delegation can be beneficial for managers, staff, and the business!
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Delegation is assigning a task that is normally part of the manager’s role to another member of staff. Deciding on the task that is to be delegated, the person who is to be assigned to it, and how the desired outcome is to be achieved, requires skills of analysis, communication and negotiation. Some risk-averse managers prefer not to delegate.
Done skilfully, delegation relieves a manager who is overloaded and develops staff. However, it’s important to be aware of some of the pitfalls of badly handled delegation:
• Be sure that both parties are clear about your expectations, including deadlines and the limits of authority.
• Don’t delegate only the least desirable tasks; it will be seen as dumping tasks and may be resented.
• Delegating a task does not mean that you are no longer responsible for it. You are still accountable for the outcome even though you are not actually doing the task yourself.
• Be available to give advice when it’s requested, but let employees find their own solutions to problems that arise. Micro-managing and expecting the task to be done your way is counter-productive: it doesn’t save time, and it doesn’t develop your employees.
Georgia business insurance can provide protection from many measurable, tangible financial risks. The benefits of delegation may be more difficult to quantify, and poorly handled delegation can backfire. Effective delegation can be beneficial for managers, staff, and the business!
*
