Delegation is a critical skill. "Your most important task as a leader is to teach people how to think

and ask the right questions so that the world doesn't go to hell if you take a day off," says Jeffrey

Pfeffer, the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's

Graduate School of Business and author of What Were They Thinking?: Unconventional Wisdom

About ManagementLinks to an external site.. Delegation benefits managers, direct reports, and

organizations. Yet it remains one of the most underutilized and underdeveloped management

capabilities. A 2007 study on time management Links to an external site. found that close to half of

the 332 companies surveyed were concerned about their employees' delegation skills. At the same

time, only 28% of those companies offered any training on the topic. "Most people will tell you

they are too busy to delegate - that it's more efficient for them to just do it themselves," says Carol

Walker, the president of Prepared to LeadLinks to an external site., a consulting firm that focuses on

developing young leaders. But both Walker and Pfeffer agree that it's time to drop the excuses.

Your Assignment

Discuss the following example to illustrate the application of the process of delegating:

A supervisor of an electrical supply company has the following tasks that need to be accomplished

by the end of the week, in addition to the regular day-to-day work.

Given the list of tasks below, Read and consider what is being asked about the task. Ask the

following questions related to the list below;

Which tasks would you delegate, and why?

What factors should the supervisor be aware of when delegating any of the tasks? Be sure to

explain the factors and the reasons for your decisions for each.

List of Tasks

Prepare a report summarizing damaged and returned merchandise.

Review personnel for promotion recommendations. There are 12 employees in the department.

Call all customers on the "active list" to let them know about the new business hours. The business

day has been extended by an hour. The company wants these customers to know before it is

advertised in the newspaper next week.

Develop the budget for office supplies and furniture for the next year. Your manager has told you an

expansion of the business is being considered, so the budget should also include estimates for an

expanded business.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Were-They-Thinking-Unconventional/dp/1422103129/

http://www.i4cp.com/news/2007/06/26/you-want-it-when

http://www.preparedtolead.com/