Delegation

Delegation.. is it difficult? No.. is it something different? No.. Then what is it?
Here are couple of things which will explain 'Delegation' in short.
A) Identifying delegation tasks:
It's very easy to identify tasks for delegation, like..
- Routine tasks
- Easy tasks
- Time-consuming tasks
- Non-urgent tasks
- Parts of more complex tasks
Then you'll remain with the tasks you cacn't delegate.
These are: Tough tasks, critical tasks and tasks delegated to you.
B) Who to delegate to:
- People with spare time
- Juniors (so they'll feel they are progressing)
- Senior staff
- People with necessary skills
- People who want to learn new skills
C) Advantages:
I) For you: More time, freedom to concentrate on other important things, security if you are way from work - people being able to carry on with parts of your work.
II) For others: Skills development, ability to use existing skills, involvement, less delays.
D) If this is what delegation meant for you, then what you cacn do to have it successul?
What is the single most important thing required?
Yes... Communication, of course.
Communicate -
- the task (explain why you are delegating)
- the limits (time frame)
- to others (to keep everybody on same page)
E) What you can do:
- Give support (without enchroaching in their work)
- Monitor progress at regular intervals (no micro management)
- Check for any need of training
- Never ever take back a task (if possible), better help to complete it.
- (IMPO) Never ever take back a task and give it to some body, it's humiliating.

Finally, delegation is not to be taken lightly. Invest time in delegating properly, to avoid wasting time solving problems later. After all, delegation is a nice balance between keeping control and responsibility, and giving away freedom and accountability.

-------
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
-

GUNG HO!

Gung Ho ! – Turn On The People In Any Organization
By Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
-------------------------------------------------------
Gung Ho! is a story happened at an Iron plant in United States, which was in deep trouble and about to be closed. It is also a story of how Andy Longclaw helped his new boss Peggy Sinclair to come out of this crisis using the three principles taught by his grand father.

The three principles of Gung Ho are – The spirit of the Squirrel, The Way of the Beaver and The Gift of the Goose. Instead of the whole story, I’ll just describe these principles in brief.

1) The Spirit of the Squirrel : Worthwhile Work
If squirrels don’t do their part to collect nuts, they will die. They have purposeful work with shared goals and values.
Worthwhile means more than important. Every employee should know why there work is important and to do so, Goal setting is must. There should be two types of goals –
a) Result goals – which is measurable and accountable.
b) Value goals – Impact on the lives of the stakeholders
Values are more management’s unique responsibility than goal setting. And hence Worthwhile Work means three things:
Important, Leading to Shared Goals and Value-Driven.

2) The Way of the Beaver: In Control of Achieving the Goal
Beavers don’t have bosses. They are in control of achieving their goals. It means everyone should plan their work and should respect each other.
Remember: People who are truly in control work for organizations that value them as persons.
Management should respect, listen and act upon their thoughts, feelings, needs and dreams.

3) The Gift of the Goose: Cheering Others ON
Lastly, the gift of the goose, is about cheering each other on. When geese fly in formation, they are constantly honking, cheering each other on. Receiving feedback is vital for people – especially praise. Employees need to be rewarded and congratulated for their efforts. Enthusiasm can be built in the employee when you have a mission accompanied with cash and congratulations. ( E = m*C 2 )
Congratulations should be true, genuine (TRUE = Timely Responsive Unconditional Enthisiastic)
Spontaneous, individual, specific and unique congratulations were always better than programmed, blanket, general and traditional ones.

Gung Ho!
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP