Understanding delegation

Effective delegation is an essential managerial skill. To achieve the best results, you must be aware of its benefits and recognize the barriers that can hinder its success.

Defining delegation

As organizations grow increasingly complex, duties and responsibilities across the workforce can become less well defined. Often it seems as though everyone is doing everyone else's job. Delegation is the manager's key efficiency and benefits all.

Explaining delegation

Delegation involves entrusting another person with a task for which the delegator remains ultimately responsible. Delegation can range from a major appointment, such as the leadership of a team developing a new product, to one of any number of smaller tasks in the everyday life of any organization - from arranging an annual outing to interviewing a job candidate. Examining the overall structure of an organisation will reveal in the form of management chains, providing a mechanism for reporting and control.