You can delegate a task, not accountability!

You can delegate a task, not accountability!
 

One of the responses for last week's discussion on delegation skill is “After I delegate the task to my colleague or team member and if he/ she does not execute the task as expected, how can I be responsible?”.

We need to understand the difference between responsibility and accountability. Accountability is someone ultimately accountable for RESULT, whereas Responsibility is someone responsible for the EFFORT or PROCESS.

Accountability is outcome-based; responsibility is process-based.

In an organizational context, when you are delegating some tasks to someone, you are just partially offloading your task to someone with empowerment to complete the task. Still, ultimately you are accountable for the result of the task. You cannot pass the ownership of the result to others. That is why we need to understand that delegation is not just the allocation of duty to others.

Effective delegation is a combination of
 Knowing what to delegate+ To whom to delegate+ Education+ Guiding

For example, as production in charge, you are just delegating the task to your reports, but you are accountable for the delivery and not your team. You are delegating the responsibility only, not accountability. Finally, you are accountable for your team’s performance.

We need to understand that the art of delegation itself is a responsibility, not just outsourcing the task to someone. When we own that responsibility, we become master the art of delegation skill!

Developing delegation skill -Logical part of delegation

Developing delegation skill

As we discussed last week on the beliefs and fears holding us from delegating the task, let us understand the logical part of the delegation.

I mentioned my senior and his outstanding delegation skill. I observed the typical pattern in his delegation approach, and that made him good at delegating and completion of the task on time.

Whenever any new organizational tasks come across through him, he used to plan to whom to delegate. Once he identified the right person, he thoroughly explained the importance of the task responsibility, things to be done, and clarified all the doubts to the teammate. While his teammate was executing the job, the senior person regularly used to check about the progress and guide the teammate. Once the task was over, he used to personally thank the person as if the job was his own task.

It looks like the senior person applied a common-sense approach, and it was proven right most of the time, as I observed. He used to be very cool, good in time management, and above all, the team enjoyed to work with him, and I attribute the result due to his structured delegation methodology.
 
The logical approach in successful delegation is as follows

• First, determine whether the task is to be delegated or to be done by self-based on priority and competence.
• Identify the right person in the organization/function by mentally calculating the capability, work distribution, and other priorities.
• Without an ego, explain the person about the task and educate the execution methodology
• Periodically monitor and guide the people during execution to give confidence and moral support
• Acknowledge the people’s contribution

 For effective delegation skills, we need to be aware of the emotional and logical part and practice it!

pl listen what Richard Branson's view about delegation 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTq5KhImmtc

Developing delegation skill

Developing delegation skill

One of the leadership traits is effective delegation, and it is one of the undervalued skills in the organization. Most of the managers and leaders aware that they are doing most of the work on themselves, and it affects their quality of work, time, and eventually growth; however, some factors are pulling us down from delegation.

Factors that  prevent us from delegating  

• Believing that self is perfect and only self can do the task
• Lack of patience to teach the work to others
• Fear of losing the importance in the workplace if someone also does the task
• Enjoying more of doing the routine, familiar job and not making an attempt to learn a new skill or doing something non-familiar task for growth
•  Really not knowing the prioritization regarding the position as discussed last week.

Whatever may be the reason which prevents us from the delegation, with a lit bit of awareness on our mindset and knowing the methodology of delegation, anyone can improve his / her delegation skill. It is an art and science.

Personally, I worked with one of the senior person in the organization hierarchy, who is competent at managing time; he used to come on time and leave the office on time in a culture where most of the people start late and stay late in the evening. One of the skills he possesses is excellent delegation skills, and that could be the reason he uses to be cool, enjoys his personal and professional life than his colleagues. His methodology of delegation is worth to mention.

 Let us discuss the methodology of delegation next week!!