Managers and business owners will either hold onto and do everything or share the workload, including sharing the authority associated with specific assignments. Those who can’t let go of authority remain small businesses. Those who hire well so they can do what they do best while delegating authority to others to assist them in building their business eventually own substantial businesses.
Overview
An assignment made by an owner is a delegated assignment when the owner gives the assigned person their authority to act, thus making them accountable for the results of their actions.
If an assignment is made without a transfer of authority, it is a responsibility for action. In this case, the assigned person is only accountable for completing the action, with the owner holding the accountability for the assigned action’s results.
When delegating an assignment, the person making the delegation must be straightforward if they are also delegating their authority to act. An authority that is delegated by assignment is limited to the specific accountabilities and duration of the assignment. This could be at the project level, by job assignment, or by task.
The delegated authority to act is how accountable people function in the business’s best interests. An owner who lets go of responsibility can better ensure accountability for the results of that responsibility by following up and asking for progress reports on each assignment.
The primary benefit to an owner of delegating specific actions to be accountable for is the time they gain by delegating specific responsibilities to those who can do them just as well or better. Owners and managers who fail to delegate end up trying to do too much, resulting in things not getting done or burnout for those trying to do too much.
Smart delegators position themselves to focus on their highest priorities for the business’s success by letting others do the things that still need to get done. They don’t need to be done by the owner. Another benefit of effective delegating is how it helps those in your employ grow and develop skills that come from being accountable for specific results in the business.
Delegating is more than giving an assignment. It includes teaching and trusting another person to fulfill the assignment involving the following elements:
- The delegator meets with the person to explain the assignment, its purposes, and expectations.
- A discussion is held on how the assignment could be done, who else should be involved, and when it should be finished.
- The delegator ensures the person understands what’s expected and willingly accepts the accountability to perform the assignment with the understanding that they must report on it.
- Confidence is expressed in the person’s abilities to reinforce why they were chosen for a particular role and assignment.
- Ongoing encouragement, direction, and support are provided with the delegator meeting as needed for the person to report on their assignment progress and results.
Allowing those capable of delivering the required results comes down to giving an accountable person the latitude to get the work done as they see best and keeps the delegator from doing the work themself. This is the upside with delegating authority for any assignment or role is the time it frees up. The downside is that the person’s best efforts sometimes fall short of producing the desired results. The principle to remember is that refusing to delegate authority robs those in your employ of the opportunity to grow and develop. Sometimes, you have to accept less in the near term to reap the long-term upside of people growing in your company.
The key to the successful delegation of authority lies in allowing those with the delegation to fulfill their assignment or role as best they can. You help them with this when you counsel, advise, persuade, and motivate. You never do the work for them. You allow them to progress and grow, even if it means sometimes getting less-than-perfect results.
