Chapter 10: Delegation

Delegation : harder than it sounds
Assessing tasks and delegating jobs is essential when creating an effective organizational structure. Delegation is a form of time-management for both the organization and the staff. The receiver of the delegation must be receptive for organizational success.

The 5 Step Cycle for Organizing Delegation of Responsibilities

There is a lot of trust involved in delegation. Delegation ties in with the topics of planning and coaching, particularly “learning vs. getting things done quickly”. It may take longer to teach someone how to do something, but then they have that skill and can use it in the future. Delegation is also a process assessing the tasks, but it makes sense that you need to know where you are going in order to coordinate with others. You also have to trust that others are going to do the delegated activities...and do them satisfactorily.

Having the responsibility and not the authority to manage that responsibility is the worst situation for someone to whom work has been delegated...This is called being Micro-Managed...eeeeek! 

An organization can be physically decentralized but very centralized in terms of decision making. Disaggregated organizations, like libraries, are putting “knowledge workers” in difficult positions. More front-line staff and leadership roles at lower levels are being developed without giving these people the authority they need to be most effective. Delegation goes back to knowing your team and their strengths so that you can parcel out tasks in a trusting and efficient manner.

     One thing that is important is being willing to delegate. My branch manager is going through a really difficult time right now, and she is really stressed out. Mostly I feel like it is of her own doing. She does not delegate. I feel like she doesn't trust us to take on certain tasks, and sometimes I wonder if its a power thing. 

~ Tina

     Harvey Sherman’s Degrees of Delegation (p. 199) in action was occurring at my job. 'Look into this problem - let me know alternative actions available with pros & cons and recommend one for my approval' was reflective of the division director's style. Almost everyone HATED the director and spent a lot of time ruthlessly imitating him and trying to sneak out once they knew he was at a meeting or gone for the day.

     One guy disparagingly showed me a shelf in his office with a dozen + binders on it. He said they were all the projects he had been assigned by the director at his request for a recommendation of action. He claimed that the director NEVER followed his recommendation gleaned from scads of research. He either never looked at any part of the project work or presented it as 100% his own but with a different recommendation which was contrary what the gathered data & facts dictated.
     I think if the director had just been straight up and used the last degree of delegation, 'Look into this problem - give me all the facts, I will decide what to do', there might have been less resentment. Then again, that is what he did with me and I still resented that he presented my work as his own to committees, with me sitting in the room. 

~ Amy