Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Leadership Failure #2 - Delegation
Confession: Here is a leadership challenge I was guilty of for many years—the Failure to Delegate Authority.
I remember my turning point like it was yesterday...During the mid-90’s, I was managing two travel agencies with a team of 35 agents between two locations. I had attended a workshop on the ‘Art of Delegation’ and was on fire to implement the new ideas I had learned. The office seemed to be running smoothly, and my day was less hectic since other team members were helping with my load.
One of the tasks I had delegated was managing a fairly large petty cash fund. Imagine my surprise to walk in one day with screaming employees who had not been reimbursed after a couple of months. Yes, I had delegated the handling of petty cash but I had failed to give that person the authority to replenish the fund through our accounting department. A small example but one which points out the need to delegate the ENTIRE process.
What happens when you fail to delegate authority?
* Decision-making bottlenecks, leading to loss of productivity or inadequate client follow-up.
* Minor decisions are referred upward causing you to get bogged down with detail.
* The team member you delegated to will be underdeveloped which can affect succession.
Give your team the tools (training, expectations, coaching, authority) they need to complete their newly assigned task, and then allow them to be responsible for the end result. You’ll be glad you did.
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie