Delegation
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Delegation is the assignment of any authority to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of management leadership. However, the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e. it is a shifting of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one. Delegation, if properly done, is not fabrication. The opposite of effective delegation is micromanagement, where a manager provides too much input, direction, and review of delegated work. In general, delegation is good and can save money and time, help in building skills, and motivate people. On the other hand, poor delegation might cause frustration and confusion to all the involved parties.[1] Some agents, however, do not favour a delegation and consider the power of making a decision rather burdensome.[2]
According to Dr. Kanthi Wijesinghe, Senior Lecturer, National Institute of Education, ‘Delegation begins when the manager passes on some of his responsibilities to the subordinate. Responsibility is the work assigned to an individual’. [3] When assigning these responsibilities to other individuals, these individuals must be willing and ready to be delegated to as well. The delegated readiness of the individuals is an important factor in determining the success of the delegation. Individuals must be prepared for delegation
The process of delegation
- Assignment of authority.
- Assignment of task.
- Creation of responsibility.
- Creation of accountability.
Delegation of Authority/Duties Strategies
According to Akinfolarin(2017), "Heads can delegate duties to their subordinates by:
1. Allowing assistants to make decisions regarding assigned tasks
2. Delegating authority and responsibility to the right person
3. Providing necessary authority, resources and support to staff
4. Having complete faith in staff ability when delegating duties
5. Giving time to staff to brief you about their assigned tasks among others."[5]
References
- ^ 12 Rules of Delegation - Retrieved December 17, 2009
- ^ Angst, Lukas and Karol J. Borowiecki (2014) Delegation and Motivation, Theory and Decision§93.
- ^ Vinette Rowe
- ^ A mechanism for identity delegation at authentication level, N Ahmed, C Jensen - Identity and Privacy in the Internet Age - Springer 2009
- ^ Akinfolarin, A. V. (2017). "Time Management Strategies as a Panacea for Principals' Administrative Effectiveness in Secondary Schools in Enugu State, Nigeria". Journal for Studies in Management and Planning. 3 (9): 22–31. ISSN 2395-0463.
External links
Quotations related to Delegation at Wikiquote
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