“Developing great leaders...by design not by chance”
DELEGATING
EFFECTIVELY
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT—LESSON #6
Few among us start the morning with the thought, “I hope something
comes along to occupy my time today.” In truth, many professionals feel
that the demands on their time and energy regularly outstrip available
resources, and often by a considerable margin. Although the normal,
uneven flow of engagements and assignments inevitably produces both
peaks and valleys in our workloads, the reality is that all too often we
help create those peaks by failing to properly delegate work to others.
Delegating effectively is not particularly difficult. It does, however, require us to confront the reasons we don’t delegate and then implement
key steps that result in effective delegation.
MAY 24TH & 25TH, 2006
NOTE: AGN MEMBERS MUST PURCHASE THIS LESSON FROM UPSTREAM ACADEMY AT THE SPECIAL AGN PRICE BEFORE USING INTERNALLY
COPYRIGHT © 2006, ANDERSON ZURMUEHLEN & CO., P.C.
DELEGATING EFFECTIVELY
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT—LESSON #6
“Great ability develops
and reveals itself increasingly with every new
assignment.”
Baltasar Gracian
"We accomplish all
that we do through
delegation--either
to time or to other
people."
Stephen R. Covey
“I’m sure that your accounting skills are up to
taking over the Peterson audit, Fairchild,
but I’m worried that we may have different styles.”
“Surround yourself
with the best people
you can find, delegate
authority, and don't
interfere.”
Ronald Reagan
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LEADERSkills INSTITUTE
M
alcolm Forbes once said, “If you
don’t know what to do with the
many papers piled on your desk,
stick a dozen colleagues’ initials on them
and pass them along. When in doubt,
route.” Although Forbes’ solution may
seem a little simplistic, better delegation is
often the answer to the problem of a “To
Do” list that never seems to get any
smaller.
Few among us start the morning with the
thought, “I hope something comes along to
occupy my time today.” In truth, many
professionals feel that the demands on their
time and energy regularly outstrip available
resources, and often by a considerable margin. Although the normal, uneven flow of
engagements and assignments inevitably
produces both peaks and valleys in our
workloads, the reality is that all too often
we help create those peaks by failing to
properly delegate work to others. Delegating effectively is not particularly difficult.
It does, however, require us to confront
the reasons we don’t delegate and then
implement key steps that result in effective
delegation.
Effective delegation generates a host of
benefits, both for the individuals involved
and for the firm. For the person delegating
an assignment, time and energy are freed
up to take on new tasks, learn new skills,
and produce results made possible only
through effective delegation. The person
accepting the assignment receives new opportunities for growth and personal satisfaction, and the firm benefits through increased efficiency, improved productivity,
Properly done, delegation yields an unbeatable win-win-win
outcome.
and cost savings. Properly done, delegation
yields an unbeatable win-win-win outcome.
Let’s listen in now as Jack, a senior partner,
meets with Mike to discuss his concerns
about Mike’s reluctance to delegate work to
other employees.
UPSTREAM SNAPSHOT™
“Don't hire a master
to paint you a masterpiece and then assign
a roomful of schoolboy artists to look
over his shoulder and
make suggestions”
Robert Townsend
“Mike, I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking time out to meet with
me today,” Jack said as they sat down together in the small conference room. “I
know this is a busy week for you.”
“Seems like there’s a lot of busy ones these
days,” Mike said, sounding weary.
“And that’s what I wanted to talk with you
about today,” Jack said slowly, measuring his
words. “Mike, I’m concerned about you.”
“Look, Jack, I know my numbers were down
last month by a few percentage points,”
Mike said defensively, “but that’s the first
time—”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Jack
interrupted.
“It isn’t?” Mike replied, surprised. “Then
tell me what the problem is.”
“Let me see if I can paint a picture of what
I’ve observed,” Jack began. “I see Mike, a
really fine accountant and one of our hardest
working employees, living his life in an almost constant state of near-drowning. If I’m
in the building on a weekend or week night,
I find you here working—and not just during tax season, but year-round. I watch
those who report to you walk out of your
office unburdened, having dropped on your
desk problems that in many cases should
Delegating Effectively
3
“No person will
make a great business who wants to do
it all himself or get
all the credit.”
Andrew Carnegie
have remained on theirs, but which you willingly accepted. I see you never reluctant to
take on more, but seldom willing to give
work to others. With amazing consistency,
you post impressive numbers at month end,
numbers that are the envy of most of our
other employees. And each month, I worry
about what those numbers cost you and
those around you.”
Mike was momentarily speechless. When
the words did come they were full of emotion, a mixture of frustration and hurt.
“So, in a nutshell, you think I do a poor job
of delegating to others,” Mike said. “Well,
you’re probably right. But I think you need
to understand why I have to operate like
that. You go to the same meetings I go to,
Jack. If there’s any more frequent subject of
discussion there than ‘hitting your billable
hours,’ I don’t know what it is. Making my
production goal has gotten me where I am
and is what will keep me there—you know
that.”
“At those meetings,” Mike continued, “we
also talk a lot about ‘excellent service.’
Jack, there’s not a one of my clients who
doesn’t consistently get excellent service,
and they’ll be the first to tell you that. That
doesn’t happen by delegating the complex
work I do to others who may or may not
have the skills to do it right. And by the
way, I tried delegating some work about six
months ago and it was a disaster. Do I believe in delegation? Absolutely. But I also
believe in meeting my production budget
and giving great service to my clients. And
those three things don’t seem to me to be
very compatible.”
4
LEADERSkills INSTITUTE
NOTES:
SNAPSHOT DISCUSSION
What thoughts entered your mind as you read the scenario?
“When I grip the
wheel too tight, I find
I lose control.”
Steve Rapson
Jack cited Mike’s endless hours of work, willing acceptance of other employees’
problems, etc., as evidence of Mike’s reluctance to delegate assignments. What
are some other symptoms of poor delegation skills?
Mike offered several strong arguments to justify his lack of enthusiasm for delegation. What are some additional reasons we fail to give work to others?
How would you respond to Mike’s assertion that delegation is incompatible with
meeting a production budget and giving great service to clients?
Delegating Effectively
5
UPSTREAM INSIGHTS™
“Delegating means
letting others become
the experts and hence
the best.”
Timothy Firnstahl
DELEGATING EFFECTIVELY
Presented by
“I’m sure that your accounting skills are up to
taking over the Peterson audit, Fairchild,
but I’m worried that we may have different styles.”
SAM M. ALLRED, CPA
FOUNDER, UPSTREAM ACADEMY
As busy professionals, the demands on
our time and energy seem to frequently
exceed available resources.
Although circumstances beyond our
control do contribute to our inability to
“get it all done,” the truth is that failure
to delegate effectively is often a major
source of our problems.
Most leaders intuitively understand and
can speak with great passion on the
importance of delegating assignments
to others.
Actually delegating effectively—
entrusting other people with things to
do in a planned, meaningful way and
then holding them accountable—well,
that’s another story.
EXCUSES WE GIVE FOR NOT DELEGATING
“It takes less time to do it myself.”
“Nobody else has the expertise to do this.”
“I’ve always been the one to handle this.”
“Joan already has too much to do—I can’t
ask her to do more.”
“If you want something done right, you
have to do it yourself.”
6
LEADERSkills INSTITUTE
NOTES:
THE REAL REASONS WE FAIL TO DELEGATE
The compensation system rewards us for
doing it ourselves
Lack of confidence in others’ abilities
We believe the best possible result is
always the right solution
NOTES:
"I not only use all of
the brains I have, but
all I can borrow."
Woodrow Wilson
Fear that the firm will lose the client
Belief that the client wants us to do the
work personally
THE REAL REASONS WE FAIL TO DELEGATE
We see it as a sign of weakness
We want the admiration of co-workers
Fear of losing control
Fear of being perceived as lazy
Fear that others will perform poorly and
we’ll be blamed
We want to feel indispensable
BENEFITS OF DELEGATION
•
New growth opportunities
•
More effective use of time
•
Improved skills
•
Increased self confidence
•
Enhanced job satisfaction
•
Reduced stress
•
Improved efficiency/productivity
•
Increased profits
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
1. Decide what you’re going to delegate
--clearly define the task or project
--determine the level of authority
--identify available resources
--define expectations
--establish boundaries
Delegating Effectively
7
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
"Delegating work
works, provided the
one delegating
works, too."
Robert Half
2. Carefully select the right person
--who is available?
--who has the right mix of abilities,
interests, etc?
--who needs the opportunity to grow or
shine?
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
3. Make the assignment and check for
understanding
--describe the task or project clearly
--explain its importance and reasons the
person was selected
--define authority, parameters, timetables,
expectations, resources
--solicit questions, reactions, and ideas
--ask the employee to explain the task
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
4. Obtain commitment, offer assistance,
and express confidence
--discuss commitment vs. support
--agree on priorities
--identify backup support
--provide encouragement
--express full confidence
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
5. Establish checkpoints and deadlines and
determine how progress will be monitored and success will be measured
--put everything in writing
--define performance standards
--explain and obtain a commitment to
“return and report”
--establish a reporting system
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LEADERSkills INSTITUTE
NOTES:
STEPS TO EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
6. Maintain contact and provide closure
when the task is completed
--hold the employee accountable
--make yourself available to help, but
avoid hovering
--review results and provide rewards
NOTES:
“Give up control even
if it means the employees have to make
some mistakes.”
Frank Flores
DELEGATION “DOS AND DON’TS”
DO view delegation as a long-term
commitment
DO give responsibility and authority
DO hold the employee accountable
DO know the difference between
delegating and dumping
DELEGATION “DOS AND DON’TS”
DON’T “wing it”
DON’T assume
DON’T forget why you delegated
DON’T accept other peoples’ monkeys
DON’T steal your employee’s glory
“The best leader is the one who has
sense enough to pick good men to do
what he wants done, and self-restraint
enough to keep from meddling with
them while they do it.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Delegating Effectively
9
UPSTREAM SNAPSHOT™
"Delegation is a skill of
which we have all
heard, but which few
understand. It can be
used either as an excuse for dumping failure onto the shoulders
of subordinates, or as a
dynamic tool for motivating and training
your team to realize
their full potential."
Gerard M. Blair
“Be my guest,” Mike replied.
Delegating effectively is, for many people, a
challenging path strewn with obstacles. The
PowerPoint presentation helps us understand the reasons we so often fail to give
work to others, discusses delegation’s many
benefits, and outlines six key steps to effective delegation.
The “after” SnapShot presented below is a
continuation of the conversation between
Mike and Jack. Rather than simplistically
trying to convince Mike that his life will be
blissful if he just learns how to do a better
job of delegating, Jack tries to help Mike see
the sometimes hidden consequences of failing to give work to others. He also acknowledges the firm’s responsibility to do
more to encourage delegation.
Jack thought for a few moments before responding. “Mike,” he began, “The issues you
raise are very real, and valid. The emphasis
we place both on meeting production budgets and providing great client service does
discourage delegation, and our compensation system rewards people for hanging on
to work that could often be delegated to
others. You should know that just prior to
our meeting, I was discussing the compensation issue with Hugh. He agrees we have a
problem and he wants to find some solutions.”
“That’s encouraging,” Mike responded.
Jack went on. “As you know, Mike, some of
the things we do or don’t do have immediate
and easily recognizable consequences, both
good and bad. Others are more subtle, so
subtle that we might not even see the cause
and effect relationship unless we look very
carefully. I’ve come to realize recently that
not delegating effectively has consequences
10
that we don’t always readily see. Could I
give you a couple of examples?”
LEADERSkills INSTITUTE
“Well, I’ve heard a lot of frustration expressed around the office lately about
Norma,” Jack said. “It’s obvious to everyone that she’s weary and is struggling with
some chronic health issues that oftentimes
make it difficult to be around her. She
really wants to retire, and with all of her
years of service she ought to be able to call
it quits. But she can’t. Delegation has always been a battle for Norma, and the simple truth is that there’s nobody ready to do
what she does so well and work with the
clients she’s acquired over the last twentythree years. If she was to leave tomorrow,
many of those clients would be gone within
six months and the remaining book of business wouldn’t be nearly enough to fund her
retirement. Norma’s struggles with delegation and the firm’s reluctance to press
her on the issue have produced a pretty
tough situation for everyone.”
“Another example,” he continued. “You
remember Darla: top-notch technical skills,
a gift for working with difficult clients,
great leadership potential. And I’m sure
you remember how disappointed everyone
was when she left the firm to take the job at
MDF Solutions. We both know that job
was a stretch for Darla, and offered her
some incredible growth opportunities—
something Strike Hook and Land had utterly failed to do, which is why I believe we
lost someone who could have become one
of our future leaders. Had we been more
willing to delegate challenging work to
Darla, I’m convinced she’d still be here.”
“And those are just two examples,” Jack
said. “There are more.”