Delegating
is an art. There is a huge difference
between delegating responsibility versus tasks.
There are also vast differences between delegating to one individual
versus another. To delegate
responsibility can initially take more effort than doing something yourself but
in the long run, it is worth it. When
you delegate responsibility, you are ultimately teaching others what you know
and adding to their skill base. Initially,
it might require a fair amount of time and follow up but in the long run, you
will have transferred a skill or knowledge to someone else which will make them
a more valuable resource to the organization.
In addition, it also gives you more time to think more strategically and
take on bigger challenges.
With respect
to individuals, some people take the ball and run with it while others need
constant direction in order to accomplish even the simplest tasks. It is
this former group that is likely to learn and grow with an organization while
the latter will likely remain in a similar position doing routine tasks for an
extended period of time. In some
instances, there is a place for them, in others, their lack of growth makes
them less relevant to the organization over time and they end up out of a
job.
Generally,
my goal is to delegate responsibility to the greatest extent possible so that I
can move onto other items (hopefully more important tasks that add more value
to the organization). Delegating is a
tool to allow me to become more effective.
I never want to do the same thing more than a couple of times which is
what it takes to understand the process, improve it, and transfer the knowledge
to someone else. To the extent this is
practiced across the organization (accompanied by automating tasks – effectively
delegating to a machine) this allows an organization to move forward. Certainly there is a role for adding people
as an organization grows and at times it is appropriate to “throw more bodies”
at the task in order to get the job done; however, this is a short term
solution and a distant second to improving processes and automating.
In order for
delegation to work effectively, however, there must be two parties. Someone to throw the ball, if you will, and
someone to catch it. If you don’t have
someone on the receiving end who is willing to accept responsibility and grow
in their role, then the process will likely be frustrating and the results will
not be worth the effort. In addition,
you need a party who is willing to “let go” and transfer some of their
responsibility to other individuals. Some
people look for opportunities to do this so that they can accept new
challenges. Others seem to hoard their
current responsibilities. Sometimes this
is because they fear a loss of control, loss of perceived power, or believe no
one can perform as well as they can. Whatever
the reason, they eventually become a barrier to both their own success and the
success of the organization.
Think about
how effectively you delegate and whether you are maximizing the potential of
yourself and those around you. Ultimately, the success of the organization is
at stake.
If your
business could benefit from fractional CFO services, I would welcome the chance
to speak with you. Please give me a call
at (314) 863-6637 or send an email to For more information, visit www.homza.com
your cash is flowing. know where.®
Ken Homza
Copyright @ 2013 Homza Consulting, Inc.
