Developing yourself through Delegation

You should never become so busy developing others through delegation that you neglect your own development. While the delegating process is an education in itself and will free your time, it can be reinforced through formal instruction.

Improving performance

Delegation involves some of the most important aspects of the manager’s job: selection, planning, and operating through others to achieve results. These activities are such an intrinsic part of the management process that the delegator is able to improve his or her efficiency simply by delegating well. But good performance can always be better. There is no absolute level of attainment, even in settled conditions. To be a successful manager you must undergo routine self-assessment, and look for ways to develop new and improved skills.

Reassessing tasks

As you develop your delegating skills, your staff will naturally progress, improving and increasing their own skills and gaining in confidence and experience. Reassign those individuals who have outgrown their initial task, and are ready to take on more, or higher-level, work. Also, monitor the performance of your team as a whole, to assess whether they are capable of undertaking higher-profile projects. This will improve the structure and balance of your workload, allowing you to take on other tasks and achieve still better results.

Questions to ask yourself

• Am I up-to-date with current management issues?

• Have I become complacent about my own performance?

• Do I invest enough time in looking for new ways to deal with familiar problems?

• When I am guiding others, how often do I stop to listen to my own advice?

Developing your skills

Use the delegation process to free yourself from structured work, such as administration, so that you can undertake more demanding and unstructured tasks, such as managing people, solving problems, and researching new ideas. It is by constantly developing these special skills that you as a manager can raise your performance from the adequate to the exceptional.

Utilizing training

Seek relevant training even if you feel you have reached the top. Consider taking advantage of courses that teach skills that you have not yet mastered in order to increase your area of expertise, or use them to update your knowledge and develop new ideas. Remember that many trainers and approaches are available to meet your own specific needs, so your options are limitless.

Educating yourself

A pizza multimillionaire in the US has the world’s biggest library of self-help books. Whether or not the books contributed to his success, the principle is powerful. Every one of those books contains ideas or techniques designed to make the manager’s job easier and improve performance. Although managers acquire knowledge and know-how as they carry out their tasks and communicate with others, there is much to be gained from an organized approach to self-education. Take time to study and absorb books, journals, and other media, and the pay-off will be incalculable.

Study to succeed

Make use of distance learning if you cannot spare the time during the day or evening to attend a “live” course.

Developing your boss

Although you may have developed effective delegation skills, your own manager’s approach to delegating tasks to you may be deficient. Ask yourself if this is because your manager has not fully understood your abilities, or is it because he or she feels threatened by you? Consider saying to your manager that you feel underused and are able to take on more responsibilities. Adapt your manner to the situation, and always be polite.

Managing your career

When planning your career, actively seek ways to make progress – do not wait for your advance to be dictated by events. Use your delegating skills to give yourself time to think about your aims and ambitions. Consider writing a career plan, complete with target dates, for advancing from one stage to the next. Working towards these targets will give you a positive attitude that will help you to identify and make the best of any career opportunities that arise.

Making progress by delegating

This manager realizes that his under-use of delegation adversely affects his performance. Improving his delegating skills enables him to use his time more productively, develop and pursue a career plan, and achieve promotion.

Being proactive

In today’s fast-changing world, managers are expected to be highly independent and proactive. Showing initiative, making up one’s own mind, and taking charge of one’s destiny are all qualities valued by organizations who recognize that they need managers with these skills to survive in a competitive climate with fast-moving markets. To be effective, managers must be able to act rather than react under pressure, and delegate efficiently. So strive to stretch yourself and use your abilities to the full in your present position, and look for and seize any chances to exercise responsibility. If the organization denies you the opportunity to develop, the best response may be to move on.