| Does it sound radical? Well, if you are a | | | | the right task. Someone can argue "What if |
| manager, or going to be one, this is a secret to | | | | there is noone around capable of doing it?". Well, |
| value: delegation. | | | | if there is noone capable of doing it, you must |
| There can be many reasons for a manager's | | | | choose that somebody who has the POTENTIAL |
| failure; behind most of them lies the lack of | | | | to be trained to do it. Training is time-consuming; |
| delegation. What should a manager do to | | | | however, it is the best investment for both the |
| become successful? It's easy ... Manage. | | | | manager's and the subordinate's future career. A |
| Manage people, manage the work, manage | | | | successful manager must be surrounded by |
| budgets, manage the environment, manage | | | | successfully developed subordinates. |
| customers, manage the firm's politics. Assuming | | | | Subordinates' development ensures that they |
| that a manager has the basic skills required, the | | | | perform their work correctly and efficiently; while |
| stone most of them stumble upon is TIME. The | | | | at the same time the manager's time is being |
| most common trap to fall into is doing much but | | | | freed so that he can perform the tasks he is |
| not doing the things that matter. | | | | expected to. |
| What are the important components of a | | | | Secondly, you must remember that by delegating |
| successful business? Competent employees, | | | | the work you do not also delegate the |
| efficient use of resources, attractive products or | | | | responsibility. The responsibility lies with the |
| services, effective marketing, synergies between | | | | delegator who must make sure that the |
| the firm's various departments, effective use of | | | | delegatee completes the work correctly and on |
| technology, returning customers. But how can | | | | time. The keyword here is "Monitoring". |
| ONE person manage all these successfully? The | | | | Technology nowadays facilitates monitoring in an |
| keywords here are "ONE PERSON". If you are a | | | | effective and non-time-consuming way. While it |
| manager who believes that you can do it all on | | | | is wrong for a manager to concentrate work |
| your own then you are just walking down the | | | | around himself, it is equally wrong to delegate and |
| Failure Avenue. If, on the other hand, have built | | | | "forget". |
| a team of competent people around you who can | | | | Thirdly, you must persuade delegatees that this is |
| help perform the several tasks required from | | | | for their own benefit as well, since it will ensure |
| you, then you have signed the book of SUCCESS. | | | | their development towards career advancement. |
| Why don't managers delegate? There are many | | | | Doing the "Manager's work" prepares subordinates |
| reasons for this, the most important being that | | | | to some day become managers themselves. |
| delegation does not come naturally. It needs | | | | They are trained to do what a manager does, |
| knowhow and exercise. It is natural for a | | | | think like a manager thinks, broadens their outlook |
| competent person, and we presume that | | | | beyond their everyday work. They will have to |
| somebody to become a manager must be | | | | find ways themselves to manage their time so |
| competent, to feel that he can do things better | | | | that they can perform their work as well as they |
| and quicker than others. Why delegate work | | | | usually do and at the same time do the |
| when you must spend time training the other | | | | "manager's work" as well as he would have done |
| person to do it, then check the work he | | | | it himself. What better training can there be for |
| submits, probably give it back for corrections | | | | becoming a manager? |
| (usually more than once) before it becomes what | | | | Lastly, you must remember to give |
| you would have done yourself right away? Can | | | | encouragement to delegatees at all times, even |
| this be effective time management? Although at | | | | when the work they submit is "poor". If you are |
| the face of it the answer is NO, further scrutiny | | | | confident that you have chosen the right person |
| will prove that the only way towards effective | | | | for the specific task, then you must be patient |
| time management IS delegation. | | | | until this person acquires the knowhow and the |
| So, what are the steps of successful delegation? | | | | confidence to do it as it should be done. And do |
| First you must persuade yourself that others can | | | | not forget: successful investment rarely pays out |
| do a task as well as yourself. This is not easy - | | | | right away; you need to be patient and persistent |
| most of us, especially if we are successful in what | | | | in order to enjoy the benefits of your investment |
| we do, believe that we can do things better than | | | | in a long-term way. |
| others (and we are probably right!). The | | | | Well, can you do it? If you think you can, then |
| challenge here is to choose the right person for | | | | try it .. it really pays out! |