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Delegating Responsibility (Part One of Two)
by Eugene Pressler
Delegation may be the best time-management tool available to executives but, too often, it lies rusting and unused in the bottom of the managerial toolbox.
We usually do not have to look far for examples and one which comes to mind is the story of the Chief Executive Officer of a medium-sized Midwest thrift institution.
Soon after his appointment to the job, his management style had dramatically changed the internal culture of this successful bank to the point where there was not a senior vice president who would make a decision.
Perhaps because he was insecure in his new position, the new CEO felt he was the best qualified individual to do nearly any job that came along. Convinced that he was just "staying in touch" with events, he soon managed to stifle initiative by constantly meddling in everything.
His staff became adept at report writing, paper shuffling and recordkeeping but real thinking and doing ground slowly to a halt as people waited for him to issue instructions. Although the CEO complained regularly about his own workload, he would not allow anyone to take action until every problem, large and small, was brought to him for a decision.
Initiative and drive had soon become liabilities in this setting, and good managers had begun to leave the organization. The company, which had been successful and growing, soon began to falter.
The most successful managers are those who are good at delegating responsibility and authority.
Delegation helps managers accomplish more than they could by themselves and it helps the organization by developing people who know how to deal with situations as they arise.
Management, after all, really comes down to the ability to get things done through other people. By your actions in being a good delegator, your subordinates learn that you believe in them…and they will generally rise to meet your expectations. They will also grow and broaden their skills and develop the experience to make themselves more valuable to you and your organization.
By keeping your standards high, by insisting that they confront each new challenge, learn to define problems correctly and develop appropriate plans of action which they follow through, your subordinates will receive the best management training possible.
Successful delegation can reduce the amount of time your subordinates require from you. By insisting that they bring you solutions rather than problems, you will have more time to think, to plan, and to do and you and your team will be able to accomplish more.
Copyright © 1992 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 2, No. 11, 2/92
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