No authority delegated. Delegation of authority by the manager. Basic rules for delegation of authority

Each organization faces certain tasks dictated by business. Each task, depending on its complexity and significance, is performed by a certain unit of the department. The most expensive and valuable resource is the manager. To ensure that it is used as efficiently as possible, a number of powers are delegated to subordinates.

What does it mean to delegate authority?

Delegation is the process of transferring a number of functions from a manager to a subordinate. Delegation is important in tasks that require a deep understanding of the process. As a rule, the manager sees the process in general, and some tasks require deep detailed knowledge.

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of power and authority. Power cannot be delegated. Power comes with a position, while authority, such as the ability to manage resources or act within given limits, can be transferred from a superior. Having a specific position is not necessary to have authority. What is more important here is the availability of the skills required for a particular situation.

Types of delegation of powers:

1. Linear. They imply the transfer of tasks from the manager to the direct subordinate.

2. Staff. They can be compared to subordination not by position, but by the functions performed. Those. Some units may have authority over others.

What can and should be delegated

The higher the position, the more so-called “green zone” (non-scheduled hours) should be in working hours. To do this, you need to understand what to delegate to subordinates, and not to the manager himself.

Subject to delegation:

1. Routine duties. All actions that do not require special knowledge and skills. For example, there is a secretary to sort mail.

2. Specialized tasks. Everything that requires possession of special, narrow-profile knowledge is transferred to subordinates. For example, a report on financial results The work can be better prepared by an accountant, and the microclimate in the team can be better adjusted by a psychologist.

3. Minor private issues. Everything that can be solved without the involvement of the manager, issues that are not strategically important, are resolved without his participation. For example, it is necessary to organize the next conference. The date, venue and list of participants are agreed upon with the manager, but the organizer decides what color folders and pens to purchase, how to organize the transfer of guests, etc.

4. Intermediate (preparatory) questions. If preliminary material or data is required to make any decision, this is carried out by subordinates without the participation of the manager. For example, when choosing a supplier, the manager is provided with a list with detailed analysis applicants. The manager will make a decision based on this data, but he himself does not prepare the analysis.

Delegation of powers types that cannot be delegated

The main task of a manager is to ensure normal functioning his divisions. Therefore, there are a number of issues that only the manager can decide:

1. Goal setting. Everything about prospects and further development business falls within the competence of the manager. To correctly determine the goals of an organization, it is necessary to know the development prospects, long-term business plans, and the subtleties of political issues. And only the manager has full knowledge of this information.

2. High-risk tasks, urgent and important matters. Everything that a manager puts in the “urgently important” to-do column needs to be decided by him himself. Ideally, a manager should not have to deal with emergencies. But if it so happens that an important task is due for completion, then there is no point in delegating such a task. And if it is necessary to complete a task the consequences of which will have significant impact on the business in the future, the manager also takes on this.

Pros of delegation

Perhaps another answer to the question “What does it mean to delegate?” will be the answer that delegation of authority is integral part normal functioning of the organization and can give a lot:

1. Gives the manager free time. The manager should always be open to meetings with employees and ready to discuss issues of concern to the staff. Only by knowing and understanding their problems can you effectively build work processes. The manager also needs time for self-development, attending trainings, taking special courses and reading specialized literature. If a leader does not develop, then his organization does not develop either.

2. Increases employee motivation to work. It is a well-known fact that the best way to perform one’s duties efficiently and devote oneself to one’s work is the trust of one’s superiors. And for employees, trust is manifested in the assignment of responsible tasks to them, which represents delegation of authority.

3. Increases trust in the team. The more tasks employees are immersed in, the more transparent the processes taking place and the reasons for certain decisions made are to them, the more likely they are to trust the correctness of business decisions and each other.

4. Preparation of personnel reserve. Many managers do not delegate authority because they are afraid that they will be tricked. This, rather, plays against the manager, since without an adequate replacement in the current position, there will be no opportunity to grow further, not to mention the fact that it is impossible to fully go on vacation or get sick.

Difficulties in delegation

Often, managers are faced with the reluctance of employees to perform delegated tasks. There may be several reasons:

1. Lack of motivation. An employee’s refusal to perform an assigned task is a matter of working through the motivational component. Factors ranging from “this is not my responsibility” to setting a task that is impossible for the employee can influence. If an employee is entrusted with a task that he has never performed before and has no idea how to do it, then this will not lead to his development, but will only create a negative attitude towards the manager and the organization as a whole. If you want to teach an employee how to do this job, then provide him with a mentor. After a while it will be possible to involve him in this work.

2. The task is not interesting. Each employee is good for a specific task. If something didn’t work out for him in one area, it means that this job is simply not suitable for him. When delegating, it is important for a manager to see which of the staff is most suitable for which task.

3. The employee does not see the benefits of completing the task.. Any effort should be appreciated. It's not just about monetary incentives now. For some, public encouragement from management is important, for others, prospects for promotion, and for others, it is important to have a photograph on the honor board.

4. No time to complete extra work . Sometimes even the most motivated employees are unable to complete another task due to their busy schedule. This situation may arise due to the fact that all tasks are assigned to the same ones, i.e. there is always no time for explanations and it is easier to give the task to an experienced performer, and beginners are not involved in such tasks. Here it is important from the very beginning of a newcomer’s arrival to the team to assign him a curator and build processes so that after a while he is ready to complete the work of the main employee within the established time frame (). If the problem is that, in principle, there is not enough working resource, then it is necessary to reconsider staffing table towards increasing personnel units.

The main thing for a manager to remember when organizing his work is that his power must be not only administratively legitimate, but also recognized. And the same principle works for effective delegation, because delegation is based on trust. Whatever the manager delegates to his subordinates for execution, the responsibility will rest entirely with him. As long as the leader bears the burden of responsibility for end result, the team trusts him and follows him.

Delegation in business

Stephen Covey called delegation the highest form of human activity. The essence of delegation in business comes down to the fact that you delegate some of your tasks to others. At the first stage, in order to delegate successfully, you need to find someone who likes to do what you don’t like to do, this will optimize the business process and free up a lot of time to solve those issues in which you are most competent.

Let me give you one example of delegation: a marketer was supposed to speak at one of the conferences; he arrived at the conference venue in a limousine, which caused some dissatisfaction among the participants; they considered it some kind of posturing. When the marketer came out to speak, they asked him about it. He responded while sharing the fundamental principle of delegation:

“Chauffeur and limousine cost $30 an hour, and my hour of work costs much more, so it was beneficial to hire a limousine and delegate the process of getting to the conference venue to the driver while I worked on more efficient activities.”

This is one of the basic principles of delegation: you delegate the least effective activities, and you yourself do the more effective ones.

Greetings! Everyone has probably heard about delegation of authority. Everyone knows that competent delegation can significantly increase the efficiency of a company. Dozens of books and hundreds of training seminars teach you how to delegate correctly.

But for some reason, “delegation of powers” ​​in Russia is still considered exotic and something “abstruse” and optional.

Today we will once again talk about what delegation of authority is, its pros and cons, why it is necessary, and what mistakes managers make most often.

Even the most effective leader, businessman or head of family cannot personally handle all matters. Each of us only has 24 hours in a day. Working time can be spent on routine and routine, or on important and meaningful tasks.

Hence the logical conclusion: most of the powers can and should (!) be transferred to others for execution. Proper distribution of tasks among employees is called delegation. Another definition of delegation is handing over to a subordinate a task that the manager should have completed.

It has been proven that those who know how to delegate correctly are more likely and faster than others to achieve success in management activities.

Pay attention! This is not about the direct responsibilities of employees! Delegation is additional tasks and powers (most often one-time).

Why delegate authority?

Proper delegation of rights and powers solves several problems at once.

• Allows the manager not to waste time on trifles, but to focus on important projects

A manager should not “poke his nose” into all the details of his business. And even more so, he should not delve into the smallest details of the work of each employee. His task is strategic development companies and general control. Therefore, all “turnover” (even complex and atypical ones) can and should be delegated to someone else.

• Increases overall work productivity

In addition to immediate responsibilities, each employee has a “strong point” - something that he can do better than others. The “horse” can be anything: organizing corporate events, making decisions conflict situations or email correspondence with clients.

If each employee performs only “their” tasks, the team will work as efficiently as possible.

• Creates a healthy psychological climate

Personnel management specialists consider delegation of authority one of the tools for non-material motivation of personnel. By entrusting important and interesting tasks to subordinates, the manager makes them feel important and contribute to the common cause.

• Tests subordinates for “professional suitability”

The results of effective delegation help identify promising employees. Their promotion and career growth will improve the company's performance in the future.

How is delegation different from task setting?

Problem statement is a narrower concept. What is it? The manager sets a task for his subordinates (usually within the scope of their job responsibilities) and that’s it... that’s it. How employees will solve it is their problem.

The purpose of delegation is to remove some of the tasks from oneself and shift them to others. At the same time, the essence of delegation is to transfer the task “entirely”: from setting the task and instructing to reporting on the results.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Delegation

Of course, delegation has its pros and cons. But in fairness, I note that the disadvantages only appear when delegation is incorrect.

Pros of delegation

• Trains and develops employees
• Contributes to the development of the enterprise as a whole
• Forms a team and identifies promising employees
• Saves working hours manager, which he can spend on solving more important problems
• Hones the manager's management skills
• Allows you to make maximum use of the “expertise” of employees in all areas
• Motivates staff using intangible methods. By delegating authority, you can retain valuable employees without promoting them.
• Increases staff loyalty to management and the company as a whole
• Provides an opportunity to assess the abilities and qualifications of workers in the field
• Increases employee autonomy

Disadvantages of Delegation

• You cannot be 100% sure that the process of delegation of authority will lead to the desired result. If you are a manager of the “if you want to do something well, do it yourself” type of manager, it will be difficult for you to “share” with someone

• Reverse situation: You are afraid that your subordinate will cope with the task much better than you. Employees feel this and turn on the “reverse delegation” mode, when the task, under the pretext “it can’t be done without you,” is returned back to the manager. In this way, subordinates get rid of “extra” work. And the leader receives confirmation of his indispensability
• You will have to trust your subordinates. After all, along with responsibility, they will also be given powers (for example, access to confidential information and the right to sign documents)

Purposes of delegation

Delegation has three purposes:

• Increase the efficiency of work in the organization
• Reduce management burden
• Increase staff interest

The Importance of Delegating Authority

Why is delegation so important?

Firstly, the amount of work that a manager can “digest” in a day always exceeds his capabilities. Every day he must do more than he can. Delegation of authority allows you to “unload” the day from routine and focus on priority tasks.

Secondly, any experienced performer is capable of doing some work better than a manager. This is normal and should definitely be encouraged.

Brian Tracy states: “If an employee can complete 70% of a task, he can be entrusted with the whole task.”

Types of powers and centralization of management

What are powers? This is the right to use company resources to achieve set goals.

There are two types of powers:

• Linear. Authority is transferred along a “chain” from the boss to the deputy, from the deputy to the head of the department and below to the final performer.
• Staff. An extra-system apparatus that allows you to control, advise and influence the work of a linear structure.

Depending on the type of authority, two types of management are distinguished.

Centralized management system

In a centralized system, top management makes most of the decisions (even the smallest and most routine ones). In such structures, “a step to the left, a step to the right is punishable by execution.”

Example: a rigid speech module for call center operators in some companies. Recordings of conversations with clients are subject to mandatory listening. At the slightest deviation from the conversation template, the employee will be fined.

Decentralized control system

In a decentralized system, the manager's functions are not so rigidly fixed. They have a main goal and recommended ways to achieve it. Everything else is at the discretion of the performer.

If we take the same example with a call center, then in a decentralized system employees are allowed to communicate with the client in any way they wish. But in a friendly tone, politely and without colloquial expressions. The principle of correspondence is included. The main goal of the employees is quality service and satisfied customers. In such a model, the “lion’s” share of decisions is made on site by the performer.

How to delegate authority correctly?

Here are the basic rules for delegation of authority:

• The task must have a specific result

When delegating a task to a subordinate, immediately clearly indicate the end result. Only after achieving it can the task be considered completed. For example: “Prepare a report on the results of the sales department as a whole and for each employee for 2017 (sales in rubles, number of transactions and new clients, average transaction price, percentage of plan fulfilled).

• We determine responsibility, timing and level of delegation

There are five levels of delegation in total: from “strictly following instructions” to “complete freedom of action.”

• Discussing with a subordinate

Three rules for delegating authority in discussions. You need to make sure that the employee:

1. Correctly understood the task assigned to him
2. Ready to complete it within the given time frame to achieve the result
3. Agree with the proposed solution to the problem or can offer an alternative

• Correctly “measure” the degree of authority

In delegation, it is very important to give the subordinate as much authority as he needs to solve a specific task. No more, no less.

If you overdo it, the employee may abuse his official position. If you don’t add enough salt, he won’t be able to solve the problem effectively. This is especially true when a subordinate requires access to confidential information.

• Lower level employees know the details better

Direct performers always know better the subtleties and details of a particular process. Therefore, it is better to entrust “narrow” tasks to them.

An example of delegation. You are the owner of a small coffee shop. We decided to expand the range of products and increase the competitiveness of the point. The most accurate and up-to-date information on customer requests will be provided to you by... the barista at the point. After all, he listens to their complaints and wishes every day.
By the way, this principle of delegation is violated all the time. The boss gives a task to the deputy, who “footballs” it to his assistant, and so on ad infinitum. A typical example is the army or any civil service, where any task “goes down” along the chain from top to bottom.

• Publicity of the delegation

Everyone should know that you asked someone to collect statistics on the results of the sales department. Openness will eliminate misunderstandings and increase the effectiveness of delegation.

• Delegate not only “garbage”

You cannot constantly delegate unpleasant or “dirty” work to others. It has been proven that this approach greatly reduces the efficiency of the team as a whole. From time to time, it is worth assigning “good” tasks to subordinates: creative, interesting and meaningful.

• The “correct” motivation

It is not enough for employees to constantly be “loaded” with more and more new tasks. They definitely need to be motivated! The “correct” motivation increases both their loyalty and their performance.

Levels and types of delegation of authority

The “depth” and stages of delegation directly depend on the employee’s maturity level.

• Low level of maturity. This includes inexperienced employees and people who lack self-confidence. You need to delegate authority to them with clear instructions and regular monitoring.
• Average level of maturity. The employee cannot, but wants to work well (he simply lacks the necessary skills and abilities). Here, too, it is important to give specific instructions. And be sure to provide feedback and maintain enthusiasm.
• Moderately high level. The employee is fully capable of completing the task. But for some reason he doesn’t want to work effectively. At this level, it is important to understand the reason.

To solve this problem, one of the following methods almost always helps:

• Provide freedom in choosing tools to solve a problem
• Delegate interesting and meaningful responsibilities
• Involve the employee in decision making

• High level of maturity. The employee knows how and wants to work. Everything is clear here. You can safely delegate to him those powers that he can handle.

Basic mistakes when transferring authority

The golden rule of delegation: “You need to delegate a task not to someone who wants to, but to someone who is able to solve it.”

Typical mistakes of a manager:

1. Rely on the fact that your subordinates can read your thoughts. This, unfortunately, is not given to anyone. Therefore, when assigning a task to someone, formulate it as clearly and specifically as possible.
2. Downplay the time it will take the performer to make a decision. Many coaches recommend always leaving a few days “in reserve” (for force majeure, adjustments and improvements). Let's say, if a report is needed by March 20, announce it to the contractor on March 15.
3. Control every step. This is the mistake that managers make most often. Why can’t you constantly “stand over the soul” of an employee? Firstly, it is impractical. After all, in this case you will spend as much time on control as on completing the task. Secondly, strict control completely discourages subordinates from working effectively.
4. Do not voice to the performer the “depth” of his responsibility. Such an error destroys the entire effect of delegation if the task is given to a group. Employees willingly shift responsibility to each other.
5. Delegate his own job responsibilities to a subordinate. Oddly enough, many employees (as well as their managers) have little idea what they even include!

What can you delegate?

Research shows that up to 80% of a manager’s tasks can be delegated. Briefly:

• Routine work
• Specialized activity (in which the subordinate is considered an expert)
• Preparatory work (for example, preliminary analysis competitors, project preparation)
• Private questions (one-time)

What cannot be delegated?

There are exceptions to every rule. What should you not delegate to subordinates, but always do yourself?

• Recruitment and dismissal of employees

In a small company everything personnel issues It is up to the manager to decide. In a large one - the corresponding department and no one else.

• Strategic planning

Of course, a manager should be interested in the opinions of his employees and use the best thoughts/ideas/comments for the benefit of the company. However, only the business owner can set the strategic directions for the company's development.

• Serious tasks with a high level of risk

From time to time, you have to solve problems that can have a serious impact on the results or prospects of the company. It is also better to do them yourself.

• Gratitude on behalf of the company

If any employee (or department) has earned gratitude on behalf of the company, it must be given in person and “in front of witnesses.”

Secrets of delegation

1. Try to delegate the task as a whole, not in parts. Each employee (in any position) must have at least one “work front” for which he is fully responsible.
2. Encourage discussion. If a subordinate can communicate directly with management and offer his ideas, this greatly increases the impact of his work.
3. Don't push the employee unnecessarily. If you delegated a task to him, wait for the appointed deadline. Constant adjustments, changes and checks reduce work efficiency.

Books on delegation of authority

• Sergey Potapov “How to delegate powers. 50 lessons on stickers"
• Maria Urban “Success through someone else’s hands. Effective delegation of authority"
• Brian Tracy "Delegation and Management"
• Julie-Ann Amos "Delegation"

P.S. Interesting fact. The Euroset company previously had such a rule. As soon as the head of the department began to regularly be late at work, he was asked to review the workload in the department and redistribute it among his subordinates. If this did not help, an assistant was “attached” to him. Willy-nilly, the manager had to delegate his powers.

It is believed that a bad manager is forced to work himself, while a good manager forces others to work. Delegation of authority is a very common practice. Nowadays, not a single company can do without this management function, be it a small individual entrepreneur or a huge corporation.

What is delegation of authority?

Delegation of responsibility is a complex process in which part of the manager's functions is transferred to employees, which helps to achieve the set goal. As a result, the manager receives structured information from a group of performers, which he subsequently uses to make various decisions.

Let's give an example. The director (or manager) tells you: “Do it, clean it, buy it, and so on, and I will check.” In other words, the director entrusts some part of his own work to a subordinate, clearly limiting the scope of responsibilities, period of performance and result of activities. He does not interfere with the work process, leaving his authorized person free space for creativity, and is involved only at the stage of checking the work done.

The purposes of delegation are very diverse:

1. Correct distribution and delegation of authority frees up time for the head of the organization, which he spends on solving more complex or difficult tasks where employees cannot cope.
2. The new rights that the employee receives are good motivation for him, so that he will do all the work efficiently.
3. The level of trust in the work team increases, which undoubtedly makes the team more united.
4. Delegating authority to employees makes it possible to check how efficient employees are and understand their work.

In a number of countries, the delegation of management functions is enshrined in legislative acts (Civil Code).

Types of powers

Authority refers to the limited right to make decisions in an organization and responsibility for the use of its resources. It is not the person who has the authority, but the position in which he is located, so an order for the delegation of authority will definitely be needed to legitimize this process. Authority can be linear or staff. With linear, the right passes directly from the boss. During staff meetings, outside employees are involved so as not to violate the hierarchy.

It is not the person who has the authority, but the position in which he is located, so an order for the delegation of authority will definitely be needed to legitimize this process.

Linear authority is transferred from the boss himself to his subordinate. Further responsibilities can be transferred along the chain. An example of delegation can be found in any company. If an employee has linear authority, then in some issues he will be able to make decisions himself, without coordinating them with management. For example, this happens in those departments and departments that are separated according to the organization’s charter or adopted legislative acts. This method creates levels of delegation of authority, so that a kind of hierarchy chain appears. But if the chain in the hierarchy is too long, the company's work will slow down.

These forms of delegation of authority imply two important rules. Firstly, this is the principle of unity of command, when an employee receives all tasks from only one superior person. Secondly, the standard of control, which implies a certain number of employees who report to one manager. Typically, such delegation methods are used only when there are no more than 3-7 subordinates.

Staff powers presuppose that other employees will be involved, and the principle of unity of command will not be violated by such types of delegation of authority. Typically, employees perform tasks related to consultation and service. There are several options for authority in this case:

• Advisory – the performer can give advice, because is an expert in his field.
• Coordination - development and decision-making (delegation of authority does not allow complete control over the matter, only over one aspect).
• Control and reporting – checking the activities of performers and providing a report on the entire operation with additional analysis.

Principles of delegation

The principles of delegation of responsibility are the basis in delegation. These are rules that must be followed.

1. Transfer of responsibility based on the results expected from the team’s work.

Delegation techniques suggest that each employee must be given sufficient opportunities to achieve the organization's goals. Many managers strive to divide rights among a large number of employees, but in the end they simply cannot cope. It is necessary to clearly define the goal and objectives. And then create a single cluster of powers, which are distributed among employees. When there is ready plan, then each employee will have to show results.

2. The principle of functional definition.

Delegation of powers of employees is necessarily carried out in accordance with the functional definition. Structural separation involves the allocation different types work. The better the results are defined, the better the different departments will have visibility into their direction. These types of delegation by structure and purpose will help you work harmoniously, but at the same time achieve goals faster.

3. Scalar principle.

The scalar principle describes the procedure for transferring authority. There must always be a leader who has supreme power. The better visible official connections manager with each employee, the better the communication.

4. The principle of the level of authority.

This principle is a consequence of the previous two. The rules of delegation assume that each level in the organization will have its own powers, and redirecting them to other levels is prohibited.

5. The principle of unity of command.

Delegation of rights and powers will be effective only if the relationship between management and subordinates is complete. This has a beneficial effect on the work of the organization.

6. The principle of unconditional responsibility.

Delegating authority to subordinates implies that they take responsibility for the work performed, but at the same time, the manager is also responsible for the actions of his employees.

7. The principle of correspondence of powers and responsibilities.

Delegation of responsibilities is carried out so that the employee has not only the responsibilities themselves, but also a sufficient number of rights to perform the assigned tasks. Then the employee will not be constrained.

Benefits and practical applications

The process of delegation of authority is always carried out in accordance with certain rules. Despite the significant benefits, delegation of managerial authority is not always possible.

The types of work that can be delegated are quite varied. Firstly, you can always delegate routine work responsibilities to your assistant. Secondly, the reasons for delegating authority may be that highly specialized work needs to be done. In this case, another employee will be needed. The same applies to various private issues and those tasks that are less significant. Delegation of preparatory duties is also permitted.

However, there are tasks that cannot be delegated to another person, so only the manager must perform them. Delegation of authority by a manager is prohibited when it is necessary to work out goals and objectives. The same applies to the development of company policy. Decision-making and management of employees also cannot be transferred to another person. Delegation of authority in an organization when the situation is risky is also prohibited. The same applies to non-standard cases, as well as situations where it is necessary to completely trust a subordinate.

Delegation of authority by a manager is prohibited when it is necessary to work out goals and objectives. The same applies to the development of company policy.

The benefits of delegation are quite wide:

1. The ability to focus on the main tasks rather than wasting time on small tasks.
2. The ability to resolve issues that require the personal involvement of a manager.
3. Motivation for employees.
4. Learning tool.
5. Professional growth.

The system of delegation of responsibility is an important element of the company's work. Despite this, some managers are reluctant to use such a tool. This is explained by the fact that there are doubts about the professionalism of employees, fear of losing authority, ambition and distrust of subordinates. However, delegation, the purpose of which is to improve the efficiency of the entire company, is used everywhere.

Delegation of authority is the transfer or redistribution of a task or part of the functions within the personnel hierarchy of an organization or enterprise. Essentially, any work process consists of delegation of authority - after all, this is the work of a well-coordinated team. At the same time, the success of the company will depend on the correct understanding and accuracy of implementation of the basic principles and methods. Incorrect or limited delegation of authority has an extremely negative impact on the work process as a whole and on the general atmosphere in the team.

At the same time, the level of success falls equally both with unscrupulous management, who do not want to take an active and sensitive part in the work, transferring the entire volume of work to structural units and does not control implementation, and with an overly cautious and responsible boss, who prefers to solve problems individually. If in the first case there is lack of professionalism, then the second option is often found among first-class specialists who are well acquainted with all the stages and intricacies of the work process, but do not have the basic skill of a good manager, which is the ability to correctly set tasks and achieve their effective and timely completion.

World expert in the field of psychology of success, Brian Tracy, elegantly defines delegation by saying: “is the achievement of a result through the efforts of other people.” He also gives brilliant advice to those who are still captivated by fears of delegation - set a task for the employee and... leave him alone. Excessive control not only demotivates subordinates, but also creates fertile ground for placing the entire burden of responsibility on the boss, leading to stagnation and conscious refusal of career and personal growth.

Advice: It is necessary to remember what distinguishes a manager from a highly qualified specialist. The first may not have full awareness of technical side process, and must be able to set tasks, determine the main methods for their implementation and bear full responsibility for the result. Otherwise, even the highest qualifications do not justify an unlawfully held position.

There are several key principles of delegation of authority, applying which the manager will receive a healthy atmosphere and a properly organized work process.

1. Clear task setting . The performer must be provided with the entirety of the upcoming task, including its main purpose and additional information. At the same time, it is important to set a framework for responsibility - although the main burden for the consequences falls on the manager, the performer must be made aware of the consequences in case of failure to meet or miss deadlines. It wouldn’t be amiss to outline general position things - level of importance, degree of risks in case of bad or insufficient results, prospects for the company. This is necessary for sufficient motivation of the performer.
2. Selecting the level and measure of responsibility . There are five levels of control and degrees of freedom and responsibility that help in setting goals. When redistributing a task, it is necessary to correctly assess at what level the performer is (employee, group or structural unit).

Level 1 : strict obedience and strict adherence to instructions, enhanced control over both the implementation process and time frames (suitable for routine work, office work, technical work).

Level 2 : employees are given the right to choose the necessary methods of execution, but such freedom is limited by mandatory agreement with management (used in the case when a specialist better acquainted with technical details and is able to suggest the shortest path to solve the problem).

Level 3 : the briefing is advisory and not mandatory, but employees are required to provide a report at the end of each stage of the task (the performer has sufficient competence or experience in performing similar tasks).

Level 4 : the employee is capable of preparing and completing the entire cycle of the assigned task, he has the right to choose methods and methods for solving it independently, but is obliged to report to the manager about the stages of implementation (usually used when delegating to heads of departments, departments and groups who are strictly limited by time frames and are fully responsible for the result).

Level 5 : unlimited freedom of action in solving a problem, lack of time frames and limits - often used in work related to creativity or in the absence of risks.

1. Discussion and opportunity feedback for clarifications and reporting. It is necessary to ensure that the employee correctly understands the goals and priorities, and understands the level of responsibility. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the opportunity to contact the manager if difficulties arise or obstacles to achieving the goal.
2. Distribution of powers according to the qualities, job responsibilities and qualifications. Since delegation of powers involves their transfer not from person to person, but distribution among positions, with proper organization In labor, this principle is based on job descriptions. But the human factor is no less important; current circumstances must also be taken into account: workload level, personal qualities of subordinates, permission to access confidential information.
3. Opportunity to attract junior management. Turning to specific specialists and performers often brings good results. Such personnel are faced with the nuances of the work process every day; assigning tasks directly to junior managers saves time and helps them cope with the task more efficiently through non-standard or specific solutions.
4. Workflow openness– each employee must be aware of the general task, represent the hierarchy of its implementation and be able to freely contact process participants to obtain the necessary information or collaborate on a specific project.
5. Prohibition on reverse delegation of authority or transfer through the official hierarchy without approval. The head of the department has the right to distribute the stages of the project between specialists, but should not transfer the full implementation of tasks to his subordinates or related departments, or refuse to accept authority, taking advantage of the responsibility of his manager.

Basic methods of delegation of authority in a company and in production

• General statement of tasks - used when distributing tasks structural divisions enterprises.
• Detailed instruction - used when the employee is insufficiently qualified (non-standard assignment or training of trainees.
• Parallel assignment to several executors - such simultaneous transfer of one project to several executors can be effective when there is a need for competition and the possibility of choosing the best result or.
• Parallel distribution among structural units – suitable for division common task into blocks and stages requiring specialists different levels and qualifications.

Types of powers and centralization of management

Powers are divided into 2 types (according to the “matryoshka” and “herringbone” principles):

1. Centralized (without transfer of responsibility) - they are characterized by regulation of the activities of all departments, divisions and groups from above, and all personnel are subject to the developed and approved regulations - from top management to the lowest level employees.
2. Decentralized – large-scale tasks are set before top management, and they, in turn, are endowed with the right to independently find ways to solve them and redistribute parts of the task among subordinates.

In practice, both of these types are intertwined with each other - when effective management their application depends on the situation and exists in parallel to each other. Excessive centralization of management is a warning sign. Its manifestations become noticeable - tasks are duplicated, deadlines are missed, the staff of performers increases, but productivity remains low.

Why is delegation of authority carried out and why is it necessary?

Delegation of powers is intended to relieve the boss as much as possible, freeing him from routine work to solve more important problems. complex issues. In addition to the function of “unloading” and freeing up time, this principle has other tasks - increasing the level of specialists, and additional motivation, and professional growth employees.

A competent manager is required to be able to see the task as a whole, know methods for solving it, and have a staff of qualified specialists to carry it out. A well-organized work team should be a well-oiled mechanism, with a clear understanding of the functions and tasks of each department.

Main purposes of delegation of authority

Correct delegation of authority allows you to solve more problems, achieve goals more effectively, and ensure interchangeability. As a result, such a company is more likely to receive competitive advantages in the market than one where the staff works under the guidance of a less experienced manager.

Advantages, difficulties and problems of delegation of authority

Most often, it is the incorrect organization of the work process that prevents you from taking advantage of the fruits of delegation of authority - for example, errors in the development of the enterprise’s document flow. The habit of distributing tasks verbally or using paper logs does not allow you to track either the specific performer or what stage the task is at. Even with proper delegation, it is necessary to take care of a system that allows each employee to see the distribution of responsibilities and stages of implementation.

The second important component of success is annual certification. This procedure should not be treated with disdain - a properly conducted interview of employees will reveal their potential, determine the group of responsibility, and evaluate personal qualities and aspirations. The main idea of ​​such certification is not so much to update personnel reserve, having gotten rid of the ballast, how much to understand what type of work is more effective to entrust to this or that employee.

When testing, it is important to evaluate and psychological factor- workers in the same position differ - some are able to express themselves to the fullest under time pressure and are stress-resistant, others are lost under force majeure, but are indispensable for large volumes of paperwork or routine work, are diligent and attentive to details.

The obvious advantage of delegation is the ability to replace in the form of monetary rewards (bonuses and bonuses) with prospects career growth and constant development. You should not forget about this factor when talking with employees - after all, many leave stability for competitors only because a series of similar assignments gets sucked in, and a person, not seeing prospects and not trying new things, is forced to quit to realize his career aspirations.

Towards achieving the main goals of delegation of authority: efficiency labor process and staff motivation, other difficulties arise. One of them is the inability to correctly assess the level of an employee, distrust of the degree of his responsibility and qualifications, and even the reluctance to develop competitors who threaten to replace their leader.

Often, an insurmountable barrier is the awareness of the manager’s significantly greater responsibility - after all, in the event of a failure or poor-quality work, the performer usually risks only a reprimand or a fine, while top management is always aware of the damage that can be caused to the company as a whole.

On one side of the scale are personal risks and inconveniences, on the other is the success and prosperity of the company. It is important to understand here that the ability to organize the entire system in the workplace and establish a cycle from setting a large-scale problem to the smallest nuances of its solution will become business card a good manager. It is this that distinguishes a manager from an ordinary specialist, and it also distinguishes this position in the remuneration system.

Practitioner Tips for Delegation: “Design and Walk Away”

Dmitry Voloshin (Director of Research and Education Department, Mail Group company) claims that the main difficulty lies in two things: choosing a performer and choosing a task. In order for the choice of a candidate to be successful, it is necessary not only to carefully listen to him and analyze what is said, but also mutual trust - the boss will not doubt the employee’s skills, and the employee must believe that the manager sets real tasks for him and has experience in solving them.

When setting a task, one of the important factors is the team’s development prospects, which means that each new assignment is intended to be a little more difficult than the previous one.

Dmitry Kalaev (director of the IIDF accelerator) speaks about the importance of not only being able to delegate, but also doing it as clearly and accessible as possible. You need to learn to switch from confidence: “no one can handle this problem better than me” to asking the question: “will the employee be able to solve it efficiently.” Learn to delegate only those tasks that you yourself understand, and make sure that the chosen candidate clearly sees the ways and means of solving it.

“A bad leader works himself, a good leader organizes the work of others” - there is such wisdom, often mentioned in business trainings. It sounds harsh, since a really good boss works himself and organizes others, but the issue of proper delegation of functions and powers is really important. The better the manager knows how to transfer his functions to a lower level, the more effective the company, the better it adapts to changes and the easier it is to manage.

Delegation (Latin delegare, translated as transfer, shifting) is the transfer of some of your functions to other people. Usually we are talking about the transfer of part of the manager’s own powers to a lower level, with the assignment of responsibility for the result to these employees. This ensures a balance in the workload of each management level.

Powers can be delegated on the basis of certain permanent documents, or they can be delegated based on any changes in the organization.

For example, if an enterprise has adopted a quality management policy, then the company’s management delegates to the quality department the authority to monitor the implementation of this policy, make adjustments and maintain reporting.

Another example is when one company acquires the manufacturing division of another company. The General Director thus becomes the head of two enterprises, and in order to cope with the increased volume of work, the authority to manage new ones production facilities he delegates, say, to the director of production, promoting him to executive director.

Delegation differs from conventional task setting in that the functions of a manager are transferred to subordinates, rather than the intensity of their own work being increased. If a department manager in a supermarket is required to double sales, this is an intensification of his own functions, and if he is required, say, to develop and implement a project to optimize processes in the department, this is already a delegation of authority to management.

In what areas is delegation required?

Delegate powers, functions and responsibilities in three areas:

1. IN commercial companies– from one level of management to another.
2. In government and public organizations– from managers to subordinates, as well as from officials to heads of subordinate institutions
3. In government - delegation of power from voters to their representatives.

In this article we look at the first two types of delegation.

Who is involved in the delegation?

The transfer of powers or functions involves two people:

• delegator- one who is initially obliged to perform one or another function and transfers it to another.
• delegate– one who accepts the responsibility to perform a power or function. Such a person is usually a subordinate of the first. Or a “servant of the people”, if we are talking about a deputy to whom voters have delegated powers.

What powers are there?

Every organization, especially a large one, has several types of powers:

Line authority

These are hierarchical relationships: a boss with a subordinate, a boss with his subordinate, and so on. Within the scope of such authority, the manager can make decisions without the advice or visa of other managers. This is legalized influence over subordinates used to achieve a goal. The director has the right to issue documents binding on all employees of the organization. The secretary is required to serve coffee to the manager if this is part of her duties according to her job description. Most often, it is linear powers that are delegated to the next management level.

"Staff" powers

Staff powers are those that do not require the subordination of some employees to others, but are of a recommendatory and consulting nature. They are usually carried out by a representative of one unit in relation to another unit of the organization. There are three types of staff powers:

1. Advisory – the employee gives advice to employees of any other divisions of the organization. For example, a company lawyer can advise all other employees; he has no formal authority over them, but it is advisable to follow his recommendations. Other employees do not have such an obligation, but if failure to follow a lawyer’s advice resulted in damage to the company, you will have to bear responsibility.
2. Coordination – making joint decisions by employees of different departments. These can be cross-functional teams, interdepartmental groups, general planning meetings and so on.
3. Control and reporting – we are talking about special units, checking the activities of the organization. These could be departments for the prevention of corruption violations in government agencies, audit departments in private companies, etc.

Staff powers are usually delegated initially when a company is created.

Goals and objectives of delegation: what are they?

There are several goals that are achieved by transferring authority to the next management level:

• freeing up the manager's working time to solve large-scale problems– if the director deals with accounting issues and solves problems with public utilities, he does not have time to build and adjust the company’s development strategy or monitor the activities of his subordinates. The manager must be aware of everyone important events in the company, but he has absolutely no need to participate in each of them on his own.
• increasing employee efficiency– receiving new powers, personnel are trained and developed, acquiring additional skills and competencies. Employees begin to use these management skills in relation to their main responsibilities.
• increasing employee motivation– participation in a new area of ​​activity, and even with additional powers, is perceived by the majority of employees as non-material motivation. If an ordinary manager gets the opportunity to participate in organizational changes in the company and even develop them independently, this stimulates activity and increases interest in the results of their work.
• training of personnel reserve– when delegating powers, it quickly becomes clear which of the employees is capable of doing more than they are doing now, and for whom the existing position is the ceiling.

What can you delegate?

• current issues of the company’s activities (administrative, financial, accounting and other not related to planning);
• highly specialized issues in which the employee is an expert (accounting, IT, other areas);
• preparatory processes (for example, collecting information for project preparation, analyzing competitors, and so on);
• one-time issues that do not affect the company’s strategy (research, staff motivation for a specific project, etc.).

I have been running the business for 11 years now. What did it have to do with absolutely various projects: tanning studio, online plumbing store, training center, online media. Any beginning entrepreneur is faced with the fact that at the beginning of a project there is not a lot of money, so it is not possible to maintain a large staff. As a result, you have to solve many issues yourself or with a small team.

As a business leader, I have always tried to isolate routine responsibilities that take a lot of time and do not greatly affect the amount of profit in the company and delegate them to employees. For example, when I opened an online store, I installed the engine myself and configured it. But over time, all technical work I delegated the technical aspects of the site to the programmers. They did this job better and with better quality. I directed the freed time to those areas of the business that influenced the increase in profits. In the case of an online store, these were

At the training center, we created a sales department from scratch that was responsible for calling clients. At first I did everything myself, called clients, found out the reasons why they did not pay for the training course, created responses to objections and compiled all this into sales scripts. Then I started hiring employees who worked according to the sales scripts I created. All conversations were recorded and my task was to control the sales people and improve sales scripts.

After some time, out of the three managers working at that time, I chose the most experienced and professional one who had the best results and made him the head of the sales department. All functions for monitoring the work of this department were transferred to him and now he checked and coordinated the work of managers, and daily sent me the results of the work for the previous day. Based on these results, I monitored the work of the department and if the indicators were unsatisfactory, I called the head of the department and found out the reasons.

What cannot be delegated

“You can’t” probably sounds too categorical; it would be more correct to say that it is not recommended if you do not want to lose control over the processes in the company. So, usually not delegated:

• strategic planning– this is the prerogative of the owner of the company or its general director (if the owner is a rentier). Even the board of directors rarely gets the right to determine strategy - more often its role is reduced to discussing proposals. This does not change the right of lower-level employees to make suggestions and put forward ideas, but the final word usually remains with the head of the organization.
• processes that have a high degree of risk - if, say, an unsuccessful choice of location for the construction of a new supermarket can significantly affect the future success of a chain of stores, its manager chooses the territory for construction himself.
• personnel issues (hiring, dismissal) - in a small organization this is dealt with by the manager, in a large organization - by the relevant department.
• control over the activities of departments - if the responsibility for control is assigned to the manager, it is highly not recommended to delegate them so that the assessment of the company’s work is realistic and is not influenced by the personal or group interests of subordinates.
• incentives on behalf of the company - rewarding leaders, signing Certificates of honor, the manager should personally thank the most distinguished departments - this increases the reward status and motivates employees much more than if the function is delegated to a deputy.

Video: Problems of Delegation

5 Basic Principles of Delegation

Principle 1: Delegate authority only to direct subordinates. You cannot contact lower-level employees over the heads of their immediate superiors. The same applies to horizontal delegation: functions cannot be transferred to an employee of another department (only by agreement with the head of this department).

Principle 2: Delegate authority only for a specific purpose. Just like that, for prestige or because of reluctance to perform any functions - it’s impossible.

Principle 3: Delegated functions must be feasible. You cannot delegate powers if you understand that the employee cannot cope with them due to insufficient knowledge or lack of time. Although there is such a practice - when a manager wants to find a reason to fire a subordinate. But this is a bad example.

Principle 4: Responsibility for delegated authority rests with the manager. If the expected result does not happen, the one who was originally supposed to perform the functions is to blame. Didn't explain, didn't help, or initially gave an impossible task.

Principle 5: Delegation must motivate the employee. If the transfer of functions is perceived as a heavy burden, there will be no effect from delegation.

Stages of delegation

The delegation process can be divided into 4 stages:

Stage 1. Determine the powers or functions that we will transfer to the subordinate

Write down a list of all the functions that you perform. Check those features. that are routine, don't have much impact on the company's bottom line, and that other people can do. Using another sign or a different color of paste, highlight those functions on which the future of your organization depends, which influence its key indicators(size, efficiency, geography of market presence, etc.)

It would be even better to lead for a while. It could be a week, a month. Highly organized entrepreneurs and managers do this on an ongoing basis. You will be surprised how much time you spend on non-priority projects and tasks that can be delegated to other people.

Stage 2. We select a contractor to whom we will delegate authority

First of all, we determine whether the delegated functions will be performed by one of the existing employees or whether it is better to hire a separate employee for a new area of ​​work.

In order to correctly select a subordinate from among the available functions to transfer to him, you need to take into account three main points:

• character and personality traits of the employee - he must be psychologically prepared to perform powers of a higher level. Here it is necessary to distinguish uncertainty (quite understandable) from the inability to reach a higher level of responsibilities. For example, you want to make one of the ordinary employees the head of a department. Does he have leadership qualities? Does he have authority among other employees?;
• availability of necessary skills - even if an employee is ready to accept new powers, but is not trained for such work, nothing good will come of it. At a minimum, training is required;
• the degree to which the employee is engaged in his own functions. If delegation overburdens a subordinate, he is unlikely to be able to perform his duties effectively. This will negatively impact the performance of the entire organization.

To be completely sure, you can assign an employee an extended task within his own functionality - this will show whether he is ready for larger-scale responsibilities.

Stage 3. Transfer of authority

The easiest way is to issue an order assigning new functions to the employee. It won't take much time. However, in most cases, this attitude demotivates the employee. But if you call him, have a detailed conversation, explaining the need and importance of transferring authority to this particular person, ask his opinion, offer support and constant supervision (or vice versa, independence, if for the employee this important factor) – then a dry piece of paper listing functions will be received with enthusiasm.

In the process of transferring powers, goals, objectives, and intermediate control points for the execution of powers are discussed (or better yet, written down in the order). Best option– together with the employee, draw up a detailed work plan with new functions and be sure to answer all his questions.

Dmitry Ginkulov, deputy general director in Economics and Finance of the Artplast company

I have been working for the Artplast company since the first days of its creation. I built the entire financial management structure from scratch. I solve delegation problems by creating quality job descriptions and training. I taught the first employees everything myself. And one day, when one of the key employees quit, I thought that I wouldn’t have any problems training a new employee. But during the work of the first employee, many new little things and nuances appeared in his work that I was not familiar with. I had to delve into everything myself, which took a lot of time. Therefore, simultaneously with mastering these nuances, I began to rewrite job descriptions. Previously, these were formal instructions, as was probably the case in many companies. We turned them into step-by-step training that shows what an employee needs to do and in what sequence. how to check your work and report to senior management. All steps are accompanied by screenshots and video tutorials.

We have combined all the lessons into a knowledge base on the 1C platform and regularly check their relevance. If necessary, employees make corrections and additions themselves. And to avoid mistakes, we made sure that all employees were interchangeable and checked each other, for which we pay bonuses.

When the load on our department increased and I began to drown in business, the instructions came to my rescue again. I described my turnover and trained people. When we hire a new employee, I assign one of the more experienced ones to him. After passing probationary period I conduct exams and tell them in detail what the essence of our department is, what kind of unit it will be new employee in the general mechanism. I’m trying to convey his mission so that he realizes his significance and the importance of the actions he performs.

Stage 4. Monitoring the implementation of delegated functions

Since responsibility for the execution of delegated powers still lies with the manager, control must be constant. Its form depends on the size of the organization and the type of relationships in it. IN government agencies and large commercial firms, subordinates report at operational meetings, and occasionally at personal meetings with the manager. IN small companies It’s easier for the owner or CEO to talk one-on-one with an employee.

In many places, control is formalized to one degree or another: at the end of the month/quarter/year or based on the results of the project, a written report is submitted to the manager in a prescribed or free form.

The manager is required to find the optimal period of control, since too often requiring an employee to report on his affairs is to fetter initiative and create unnecessary nervousness. And too rarely, it means losing control of the processes or missing the moment when an employee for some reason makes a mistake and everything goes awry.

10 most common delegation mistakes

It is not always possible to delegate authority correctly; attempts often end in damage to the organization, personnel organizational withdrawals and other unpleasant consequences. Why is this happening?

1 Delegation of functions not intended for this purpose

The manager transfers to his deputy the right to negotiate with clients with whom he himself could not reach an agreement. The director entrusts the head of the marketing department with the task of determining the company's development strategy. The head of the department requires the leading specialist to make a report on the work of the department in his place - immediately.

All of the above situations are delegation errors. You cannot delegate your own managerial functions to others, you cannot delegate overly complex tasks, and it is not recommended to delegate urgent responsibilities.

2 Delegation along the chain

Your boss has entrusted you with the task of preparing for an important meeting, you delegate this function to your subordinate. This is categorically wrong, since your employee is alienated from the original source of the task, the manager motivated you, not him.

There are situations when responsibilities can be delegated, but for this you need to thoroughly know the functions of each employee and the content of their job descriptions. Otherwise, we get a dull employee who performs other people’s duties under pressure.

3 Hasty delegation

A task appears, and without analysis or consideration, you quickly push it onto your subordinates. It turns out that they lack information to perform new functions. They turn through you to your leadership, who has set the task. Management responds to you, you clarify the delegated functions, after a while new gaps are identified, and everything repeats. By the third time, your manager looks at you nervously and asks if you are in the right place if you cannot complete the task assigned to you? You begin to delve deeply into the process, but time has already passed. And with it comes respect from both your superiors and your subordinates, whom you also pulled back. You cannot push your own tasks to lower-level employees; you need to analyze them and go through all the stages of delegation that we talked about above.

4 Delegating to the wrong person

The wrong choice of the employee to whom you have delegated authority is most often not a problem of a specific situation, but personnel policy the company as a whole. If you are the head of a department, and the heads of departments under your command are not capable of performing functions at a higher level - who is to blame for this? The same applies to the choice of “favorites” - if among all the employees you choose not the most suitable, but the most loyal to delegate authority, then responsibility for possible negative consequences will also lie with you.

5 Delegation “over the head”

As already mentioned in the relevant section, you cannot delegate authority to a person who is not your direct subordinate. However, some managers, accustomed to keeping a tight rein on their entire organization, believe that “my vassal’s vassal is my vassal.” The director calls the department manager and, over the head of the manager, gives him the authority to, say, compile reports. This causes a lot of friction, misunderstandings and worsens the moral climate in the team. An employee follows the instructions of several managers at once. Due to the large volume of work, he may not be able to cope with his responsibilities, or he will have to stay late and experience stress, which will lead to the employee’s dismissal. Until the company finds a new specialist to replace him and trains him, a lot of time will pass, and time, as we know, .

6 Late delegation

Obviously, it's ridiculous to delegate a function if it was supposed to be done yesterday. But this happens all the time. A call from the cultural department to a subordinate institution at 9.00: make a plan for the next quarter in your area and send it by 10.00, higher authorities require us to do so. That is, the manager does not have time to make the plan himself and dumps it on the subordinate, setting unrealistic deadlines.

As a result, a worthless document “for show” appears. The higher authorities are happy, the manager was not scolded - he is also happy, the exhausted subordinate is happy that they left him behind, and the interests of the business suffered. The same thing happens when delegation occurs not according to a carefully designed plan, but because the leader suddenly remembered an important direction that needs to be maintained. Such delegation is rarely effective.

7 Delegation without purpose

It would seem, what is the point of hiding the purpose of transferring powers from the executors? However, this happens quite often - for example, in the field of mergers and acquisitions. A deal is being prepared to acquire the assets of another company. Its details cannot be disclosed, but the employees of your company need to be somehow prepared for the fact that both the rhythm and volume of their work will change.

The task is given to predict changes in the work of certain departments, taking into account the fact that they will have to work in a distributed mode, both servicing existing assets and supervising new ones. Naturally, the parameters of the new assets are not disclosed. What do subordinates get? That's right - abstract calculations, of little use in practice, conjectures, conjectures, and so on.

Another option is when the goal is not communicated to employees due to some accident. The order was drawn up incorrectly, the order was not fully transmitted, etc.

8 Delegation without deadlines

When a boss delegates a function to an employee, he expects him to begin performing it immediately and at the same rhythm as the manager himself. Therefore, the question of timing is often not raised at all. However, much depends on the employee himself. Some subordinates perform their main tasks first, and then take on other functions, others try to do everything at the same time, and others generally wait for some time to see if the manager will cancel the order. The lack of specific deadlines often leads to delays in the implementation of delegated functions.

9 Delegation without priorities

A very painful topic for subordinates, to whom managers give a rigid plan for fulfilling their main responsibilities. And then they begin to transfer authority, which also takes time to complete, attempts begin to integrate new functions into the schedule, the employee rushes between several tasks, not having time here and there. In the process, new instructions come from management, some responsibilities are removed, new ones are added, and the chaos intensifies. Eventually the subordinate begins to perform the most simple tasks, because they allow you to demonstrate at least some result of the work. And difficult matters are left for later. Lack of priorities is a very common delegation mistake.

10 Lack of delegation

The manager verbally delegates authority, but in reality tries not just to intervene, but to perform the same functions in parallel. This happens in organizations where the boss is a perfectionist. There, by the way, there may also be a situation where powers are not delegated at all. The manager sits at work from morning to night, tries to control everything in the world, and ten years later he leaves straight from his workplace in an ambulance with a heart attack.

In addition to problems with the manager’s health, the lack of delegation also causes difficulties with strategic planning, responding to market challenges, and optimizing business processes. When you have all the current work on you, there is simply no time to do this. Or at night. With appropriate efficiency.

What can get in the way of delegation?

Obstacles to the competent transfer of functions and responsibilities can arise from both the employee and the manager.

Interference from the boss

Interference from subordinates

• doubt about the necessity of the functions performed;
• inexperience in exercising leadership responsibilities;
• disagreement with the manager regarding the delegation of functions;
• reluctance to expose yourself and share responsibility with the manager (especially if the authority to impose penalties is delegated).

If a subordinate is not ready or does not want to perform the function delegated to him, he gradually (for example, constantly consulting even on the simplest issues) or directly (“sorry, I can’t do it”) returns authority to the manager. This is called reverse delegation.

Conclusion

Delegation is an important part of management talent. If a manager knows how to correctly delegate part of his powers to subordinates, he has time for strategic planning, assessing the market or political situation, and much more.

The essence of delegation is to free up the manager’s time, relieve him of routine tasks and concentrate on what brings profit. At the same time, the efficiency of the organization increases, the motivation of employees improves, and a personnel reserve is developed.

At the same time, it is recommended to delegate only current issues of the company’s activities, preparatory or highly specialized processes, as well as other issues that do not affect the definition of strategy, long-term planning and personnel aspects.

The delegation process includes 4 stages, and it is better if all of them are completed sequentially. Spontaneous and fussy transfer of functions rarely leads to a significant effect, but often creates the risk of unpleasant consequences.

What is management: levels, types, functions, basic principles + tips on how to become a successful manager

About the author

Experienced professional journalist. I enjoy understanding complex financial issues and communicating them to ordinary people in simple and accessible language. My goal is to help people level up financial literacy, share interesting money tricks and secrets with others so that people become richer, freer and happier.