At some point in time, managers face the need to delegate authority or delegate decision-making powers to subordinates. Delegation refers to the process of entrusting lower-level employees with the responsibility to perform a set of tasks. Delegation is an antonym for micromanagement whereby the manager has complete authority and monitors employees in their chain of command, exercising scrutiny. No decision-making authority is ever passed down to subordinates in any way in this type of management. For instance, in business accounting, bookkeeping is an intricate process that requires an eye for detail to ensure that no information is left uncaptured. The tedious nature of the task calls for the need to delegate decision-making as the manager alone cannot look into each process manually. In addition to the wastage of time, this task is subject to changing regulations in the accounting framework. Hence, employees closer to the action tend to be more informed regarding any changes to the accounting/bookkeeping policies and framework and can incorporate these wherever and whenever required.
Delegation requires passing down decision-making powers. This delegation must be effective, considering the amount of responsibility that comes with it. To delegate decision-making more effectively and seamlessly, use the checklist below.
Choose Wisely
Based on the nature of the task you delegate, ensure that the person chosen for the job is the right one. This decision will require an assessment of their various skills and capabilities for the task at hand. When selecting a person from a group, make sure the one with the best skills is handpicked and given additional responsibilities. Spend sufficient time analyzing and evaluating different employees and choose your decision-making team wisely.
Communicate Goals and Expectations
The next step is to communicate work goals and their various requirements to the selected individual. It is essential to ensure that the budget, context, time duration, and other necessary information gets communicated to the employee. Also, when you delegate decision-making to subordinates, it is understood what the expectations are. These expectations are to be fulfilled by the employee, and they must direct their goals towards meeting these set expectations.
Confirm Understanding
To smoothly delegate decision-making, once the relevant and necessary information gets passed onto the employee, make sure to inquire from the person whether they understand entirely or not. Without such assurance, the employee could end up incorrectly using the authority. A set of questions regarding the assigned task or process must be asked from the employee to check their understanding of everything conveyed to them. If there are any further clarifications or explanations needed, these must be delivered at this stage of the process to avoid potential mistakes at a later stage.
Ensure Accountability
Whenever managers delegate decision-making to their subordinates, an essential step that they tend to miss out on is the assurance of accountability that falls onto the employee. This accountability can be accomplished by keeping the communication lines open on both sides. This communication ensures that the employee reports to the manager regarding the assigned tasks’ essential deadlines and status. Delegation requires the selected individual to take full responsibility for the entrusted decision-making power. A lack of accountability may work for employees that fall under the micromanagement umbrella. Still, for those delegated with authority, this becomes detrimental and could impact their performance.
Continue to Monitor
Lastly, to delegate decision-making seamlessly, constant monitoring is symbolic of effective delegation and the carrying out the delegated tasks. This monitoring is different from micromanagement. It calls for assessing the work metrics once the work gets finished or whenever necessary. The employee should not be bothered continuously during the mission. An informal discussion to get an update on the status of the work proves helpful.
Conclusion
With these five easy steps, managers can smoothly delegate decision-making powers to subordinates without regretting their decision to do so later. A little caution is always better at the initial stage of any process.
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