The purpose of this section is to give you the following:
So what is delegation? Delegation is the assignment of responsibilities to another person for the purpose of carrying out specific job related activities. Delegation is a shift of decision making authority from one team member to another.
Manager/Leader Benefits
Team member Benefits
GitLab Benefits
As a Manager, we have to delegate tasks and activities to achieve results. Delegation only works when both the team member and manager share a common understanding of the problem set and how to go about solving them. If a Manager doesn't understand fully what they are delegating, achieving results could be slowed down. Delegation without follow-through by the manager is abandonment. When delegating tasks consider monitoring the team member's progress based on their level of competence/skills with the tasks.
Additional reasons why managers struggle with delegation:
Knowing when and to whom you should delegate to
Delegating can be especialy helpful in the following situations:
When deciding who to select for the task, you must consider:
IDEAL - Six steps of delegations. In this section we will review the 6 different steps and approaches for enhancing your delegation skills.
I - Introduce the task D - Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done E - Ensure understanding A - Allocate authority, information and resources L - Let go S - Support and monitor
Introduce the task
When you introduce the task use "What-Why" statements like "I want you to do…Beacuse you…"
Demonstrate Clearly
Ensuring Understanding
Allocate authority, information and resources
Let go
Support and Monitor
"Why do Managers…?"
Delegation Obstacles
Signs of Micromanagement
Micromanaging occurs when a manager assigns a task to a team member, but prevents the team member from successfully completing the task on their own. Micromanagers usually:
How to avoid Micromanagement
Consequences of poor delegation
Conclusion
Practice makes perfect. It gets easier the more you do it! Below are a few useful articles for managers regarding the importance of delegation.
Books to consider reading