The selection of persons should be carried out taking into account the tasks to be performed. Appointments should not be made arbitrarily, as this leads to square pigeons in round holes and vice versa. The right choice is not enough for better delegation. Selected individuals must also receive the necessary training to accept assignments and authority. The supervisor must – (a) supervise the subordinate; (b) review its results on the basis of pre-established standards; and (c) advising on improvements. It helps to get the job done on time, reduces the workload of managers and motivates and develops subordinates. In other words, delegation is a process that allows one person to assign work to others and delegate them with enough authority to do so. 2. Delegation must have objectives – Before delegating authority, the objectives of delegation and the possible outcomes of delegation must be clarified.
It must be an object-oriented process. Let`s break down what delegation of authority is and how you can do it effectively in your workplace. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the role delegation can play in the success of your business. For the delegation to succeed, the delegate himself must be convinced of the necessity and benefits of the delegation. He must also be willing to allow his subordinates to make mistakes, although it can be serious if the same mistake is repeated. In every organization, the highest authority is at the top. There is a clear line of flow of authority from the highest authority to all lower levels. Each subordinate must know who delegates authority to him and to whom matters beyond his own competence must be referred.
4. It should facilitate the organizational process – Delegation should assist the organization in achieving its objectives. Delegation should not be intended to interfere with the normal functioning of the department or organization. Definition: Delegation of authority is a process by which a manager delegates responsibility for performing work on his or her behalf to the subordinate. In addition, the subordinate is given a certain amount of authority to the extent sufficient to discharge the responsibility assigned to him. If delegation is not carefully identified in practice, it can be ineffective, the organization can fail, and mismanagement can result. (Absolute liability) The responsibility of a subordinate to his superior is absolute and no delegate can evade his responsibility by transferring it to his subordinate, even if he has delegated powers and functions to his subordinate. Even after the delegation of authority and responsibility, overall sovereignty and responsibility remain in the hands of the superior. The delegate remains accountable to his superior. This clearly shows that responsibility cannot be delegated. Delegation of authority can only be useful if it enables the subordinate to carry out the tasks and responsibilities assigned to him or her effectively. Just as a poorly armed and ill-equipped soldier cannot fight a battle successfully, so a subordinate with insufficient authority cannot succeed in fulfilling the assigned task or responsibility.
It shows, as is usually the case for administration, that delegation is not autonomous, but is linked to other aspects of the overall management system. Delegation of powers is the act whereby a political authority with certain powers delegates the exercise of those powers in whole or in part to another authority. For example, if a department grants its authority to another branch of government, a delegation of authority has taken place. In general, an agent cannot delegate, although this is allowed in certain situations. The scalar principle refers to the chain of direct authority relationships from parent to subordinate throughout the organization. You can delegate supervision of a specific department to another employee. For example, if you`re a CEO, you can delegate authority over the entire marketing department to the CMO. While delegation is an individual concern, there are common guidelines that are the foundation of delegation. These principles provide basic guidelines for delegation. A manager may delegate other authority only on the basis of the required responsibility. 3.
Absolute Responsibility Principle – A supervisor may delegate authority, but not responsibilities. Liability is an obligation that cannot be delegated or temporarily postponed. A supervisor is responsible for all the actions of his subordinates, whether good or bad. The nature of the obligation is equivalent to the scope of the delegation of authority. It should be noted that the organization`s objectives must be achieved on time. The supervisor must know exactly what they expect from the subordinate before delegating authority. Clearly describe the level of authority the person should have. The different levels of authority are as follows. A delegation of authority may be specific or general, written or not. 10.
Principle of effective control – There should be an appropriate control system to measure the performance of subordinates. A supervisor must ensure that the authority delegated to subordinates is used correctly. 4. Delegation by Results Principle – It is essential that segregation of duties and delegation of authority be carried out in a results-based manner. Organizational objectives must be clearly defined, as the tasks to be accomplished are linked to the objectives to be achieved. While it is possible for a subordinate to obtain authority from two or more superiors and be logically held accountable by them, the practical difficulties of serving two or more masters are obvious. The nature and extent of the tasks and responsibilities assigned to a subordinate, as well as the authority conferred on him or her to use and control the resources necessary to carry out those tasks and responsibilities, should be consistent with the achievement of the overall objectives of the organization. As described in an article in the Harvard Business Review, a team leader adopted a delegation strategy and went from simply busy to productive. Some of the powers cannot and should not be delegated, including issues such as political decisions, planning control, etc. Unclear delegations, partial delegations, delegations that do not agree with the expected results and the refusal of superiors to allow subordinates to exercise their authority are among the many common weaknesses of delegation of authority. The view also tends to take note of the influence of personal authority. Fayol himself recognized what is perhaps the greatest difficulty, that of measures.
Fayol saw the equation of authority and responsibility as a solution to a practical problem, the natural tendency of people to seek authority and avoid responsibility. To achieve a delegation, a manager must work in a system and perform the following steps: – To have a productive work environment, it is important that managers delegate authority to their employees. In addition, it shows their subordinates that the manager is convinced of their abilities. This can be a pretty powerful motivational tool. Accountability flows upwards, while delegation of authority usually goes down. Accountability can never diminish because a leader is always accountable to his supervisor who has delegated authority. This principle states that accountability is uniform. Each person should report to only one superior of the delegated authority, as he or she cannot serve two masters well. When one person shows up to two supervisors for the same task, confusion and friction occurs. He will often receive contradictory instructions. If this is the case, his only hope is either to have his two bosses or to run the risk of displeasing one or both.
Therefore, double subordination should be avoided as much as possible. The clearer the competency path of a company`s senior manager in a subordinate position, the more effective responsible decision-making and organizational communication will be.