Managing For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Chapter 11. Delegating to Get Things Done

In This Chapter

• Managing through delegation

• Debunking the myths about delegation

• Putting delegation to work

• Choosing which tasks to delegate

• Checking up on your employees

The power of effective management comes not from your efforts alone (sorry to burst your bubble), but from the sum of all the efforts of each person within your work group. If you're responsible for only a few employees, with extraordinary effort, you perhaps can do the work of your entire group if you so desire (and if you want to be a complete stranger to your friends and family).

However, when you're responsible for a larger organization, you simply can't be an effective manager by trying to do all of your group's work. In the best case, the group may view you as a micromanager who gets too involved in the petty details of running an organization, spending more time on other people's work than your own. In the worst case, your employees may take less responsibility for their work because you're always there to do it (or check it) for them. They will be less engaged in their work, and morale will plummet. Why should they bother trying to do their best job if you don't trust them enough to do it?

Managers assign responsibility for completing tasks through delegation. But as we explain in this chapter, simply assigning tasks and then walking away isn't enough. To delegate effectively, managers must also give employees authority and ensure that they have the resources necessary ...