TABLE OF CONTENTS To get the most benefit from delegation, you have to get the balance just right. Too little, or under-delegation, suggests a lack of trust and confidence. Too much, or over-delegation, suggests a loss of control.
In this session we'll look at some of the reasons why people do not always get it right. We shall look at both under-delegation and over-delegation, and put them in the context of what happens in an actual workplace. Then we will look at the levels of control in effective delegation.
Under-delegation comes about if you fail to pass enough responsibility down the line to your workteam, and try to do too much yourself instead.
Susan Ward, a receptionist in a health clinic, was discussing with her colleagues a new way of index-filing which her office manager had introduced. 'It's a total disaster.' she said. 'We can't find anything these days without going through every file. Mind you, I knew it wouldn't work when she told me about it, but I didn't bother telling her. After all my job is only to do as I'm told, isn't it? It's management's job to tell us what to do, and then they're carrying the can if anything goes wrong. After all, that's what they get paid for'.
This case shows a mistake often made by managers. They are not necessarily in the best position to decide about changes in working methods.
Those who are closest to the work, as in this case Susan...
