No corporation can stand or move without teamwork. The most important part of teamwork is delegation. Delegation is basically the distribution of authority to a different person to perform a certain task. It is usually done by a manager. In more technical term it is the downward transfer of from a superior to a subordinate.
A manager no matter how accomplished cannot manage to do every task on his own. If he can it is still impractical to do in an organisation as it will be either inefficient or ineffective.
It is a necessity because it enables the superior to focus on high priority task. This also helps the superior in the expansion of his/her task as without it he/she will only be able to accomplish what he/she can or cannot do.
Elements of Delegation
There are three elements of delegation-
Authority
Authority is basically power over somebody. A superior has a power over his subordinate. With authority a superior can command his subordinate to take action within the scope of his position. Authority can also be delegated with the work.
A superior while giving his subordinate some work to do also gives his subordinate some authority with it. Without authority, the subordinate cannot complete the task. Subordinate will have to ask for superiors permission for every single step. This beats the whole purpose of delegation.
Responsibility
Responsibility is the obligation to perform a task given to a subordinate by his superior. It has an upward flow. A subordinate will always be responsible to his superior. Responsibility and Authority go hand in hand, This means that a subordinate who is given responsibility should also be provided with the equal amount of authority.
Accountability
As you all know by now that authority and responsibility are transferred to the subordinate. Accountability, on the other hand, is something which stays with the superior. Accountability is basically being answerable.
This means, if after delegation a subordinate gives an unsatisfactory performance it will be the superior who will be answerable to the higher authorities. Like responsibility, this also flows upwards (a subordinate is accountable to his superiors).
Why Delegation?
Efficient Management
As mentioned above, superiors are able to focus on much important work by delegating their work to subordinates. Superiors through delegation are able to achieve more than what they could have achieved alone. Freedom from menial task enables the superior to excel in new areas.
Progress of Employees
Delegation gives subordinates a new opportunity to utilise their skills and help in the rise of latent abilities. This enables them to take on skills which they might require in future to perform much more complex tasks.
This helps them to progress in their job by helping them acquiring and developing new skills. The additional task is that if a subordinate gives an excellent performance, they might have a better chance of promotion.
Recognition through Delegation
Delegation is a superior-subordinate relationship. It is not merely sharing of work but involves trust on superiors’ part and commitment on the part of the subordinate. Superior recognises subordinate through this relationship.
Expansion of an Organisation through Delegation
Delegation helps in the expansion of an organisation by providing a ready workforce to take leading position in new ventures. Trained and experienced employees are able to play significant roll in the launch of new projects by replicating the ethos.
Prevents Overlapping of Duties
Delegation helps in creating coordination among subordinates and this helps to avoid overlapping of duties and duplication of efforts as it gives a clear picture of the work being done at various levels. Such clarity in reporting relationships helps in developing and maintaining effective coordination amongst the departments, levels and function of management.
Conclusion
Delegation is that part of teamwork which helps in maintaining the momentum in an organisation. Without delegation, the organisation’s performance becomes inefficient and ineffective. It also helps in boosting employee’s morale. helps them in increasing the amount and efficiency of their skills. It also prepares the employees to become the leaders of new ventures.
