The effectiveness of delegation is as much determined by the skill of the person delegating the work as the quality of work performed by those delegated to. Use this self-assessment to evaluate your current practices and reflect on your attitudes towards delegation.
Task
Read through each statement.
Tick the scoring box that relates most closely to what you currently do.
Section 1: your current practice and skills
Section 1
Statement | Almost Always | Sometimes | Rarely |
1. I delegate appropriate amounts of work | | | |
2. I delegate on a regular basis, not just when I'm overloaded or in the lead-up to my holidays. | | | |
3. I carefully consider the most appropriate person to delegate to based on their skills, interests, workload and development. | | | |
4. I tend to delegate to a variety of team members, not just the one or two people who I know will do a good job and who are reliable. | | | |
5. I motivate through highlighting the importance of the task. | | | |
6. We share our expectations and ideas as a team when tasks or responsibilities are delegated. | | | |
7. I recognise that delegation may impose on my team members' time, and I help them re-prioritise their workloads. | | | |
8. I ensure that people have all the necessary resources (space, time, equipment, training). | | | |
9. I ensure that the amount of authority I give matches the responsibility. | | | |
10. I retain an appropriate degree of involvement after delegation. | | | |
11. I help team members identify and resolve their own mistakes. | | | |
12. I use praise when it is merited. | | | |
13. Success of team members in a delegated task is rewarded through a bonus, further development opportunities, praise, public recognition or awards, etc | | | |
14. I encourage team members to take the initiative in areas not clearly spelled out, provided they keep me fully informed. | | | |
15. I provide regular feedback and support when needed. | | | |
Your attitude towards delegation
Section 2
1. Helping my team learn and develop is one of my higher priorities. |
2. I trust my judgment that I have a sensible and intelligent team. |
3. I do not feel guilty about delegating tasks. |
4. I see delegation as an opportunity for everyone. |
5. I don't worry about a degree of failure. I am prepared to accept mistakes as a necessary risk when developing and empowering my team. |
6. I accept that a team member may be more competent at a task than myself. |
7. My team members will pay the same attention to detail as I would. |
8. I am prepared to accept responsibility in the event of any complaints. |
9. The benefits of delegation outweigh the fact that sometimes it will take longer for the task to be completed due to the time involved in briefing and monitoring. |
10. I take stock of my delegation style periodically to avoid over or under-delegating. |
Interpretation
Section 1: your current practice and skills
The statements to which you responded ‘Occasionally’ or ‘Rarely’ indicate you have a weakness in your current practices. Look at ‘Your next step’ below for tools to improve your approach.
Section 2: your attitude to delegation
If you were unsure if any of the statements applied to you, or you disagreed, then you may need to reassess your attitude towards delegation and set more time aside when planning work to be delegated. You should consider using the tools in ‘Your next step’ when looking to change your attitude.
Your next step
Refer to the following documents to help you share the workload within your team, and to develop and motivate your team members:
‘What is My Delegation Style?’
This exercise will help you to adopt a delegation style that is appropriate for your style of management and particular work situation.
‘Planning to Delegate’
Before delegating a task, this exercise will help you communicate your expectations clearly and inspire your team members in the process.
‘Delegation Checklist’
This checklist gives you some top tips to ensure that you and your team get the most out of delegation, making it a positive experience for all involved.
You might want to supplement your development with some other resources, for example coaching from a colleague whom you consider to be a role model in the area of delegation.
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