Better Manager 7th prelims:Better Manager 7th edition

ADVANTAGES OF DELEGATION

■ It relieves you of routine and less critical tasks.

■ It frees you for more important work – planning, organizing,

motivating and controlling.

■ It extends your capacity to manage.

■ It reduces delay in decision making – as long as authority is

delegated close to the point of action.

■ It allows decisions to be taken at the level where the details

are known.

■ It develops the capacity of staff to make decisions, achieve

objectives and take responsibility.

THE PROCESS OF DELEGATION

Delegation is a process which can follow a sequence from total

control (no freedom of action for the individual to whom work

has been allocated) to full devolution (the individual is

completely empowered to carry out the work), as illustrated in

Figure 10.1.

How to Delegate 59

Manager Manager gives Manager briefs Manager gives Manager empowers
allocates task specific individual and general directions individual to control
but exercises instructions checks to individual and own performance
total control and checks regularly asks for feedback of task
constantly at the latter’s
discretion

Figure 10.1 The delegation sequence

Degree of control exercised by manager

Degree of freedom devolved to individual