Delegation of authority

Delegation of authority is transfer part of the functions of the head to the lower-level managers or employees. This is not done in order to simply "shove" the work of the leader on subordinates; the delegation of authority is resorted to in certain cases.

For example, it makes sense to delegate authority in the event that Someone from subordinates understands a specific issue better than the head. This does not mean that the leader is stupid or incompetent: no one can be an expert in absolutely everything. It simply makes sense to entrust the solution of the problem to someone who will cope with it better than anyone else.

In addition, the manager rarely has the opportunity to focus on solving a single problem. And the subordinates, to whom the powers were delegated, such an opportunity will, accordingly, they will solve the problem faster, since they will not be distracted.

Also, delegation of authority is used when management needs to free up time for more important tasks. It often happens that the manager needssolve more tasks than it is physically possible to do. In this case, it is necessary to prioritize: to solve the most important tasks personally, and less important to delegate to subordinates.

By the way, delegation of authority can benefit not only the leader, but also employees. It is used for Increase staff motivation and build team trust: when the manager delegates authoritysomeone from subordinates, he thus demonstrates his confidence and confidence that the subordinate will cope with the task. Of course, for a subordinate this is an additional responsibility, but the responsibility is flattering.

Another delegation of authority is possible not only forTo demonstrate their trust in employees, but also to verify whether they truly deserve this trust. Delegation of authority is one of the ways checking employees for their diligence. It can also be used to train employees.

The delegation of authority is divided into four main types depending on who is responsible. When full delegation the immediate superior does not take any part in the work: the subordinate not only does the work, but also bears responsibility for it to the leaders of a higher level. When limited delegation the subordinate does the work, and the responsibility for its result they with the immediate supervisor "divide by two."

When Zero delegation work is performed by a subordinate, and the responsibility is borne by the head. Finally, there is such a type of delegation as reverse delegation: having received the task, the subordinate shifts the execution to the manager.

Also delegation of authority may be general (when the task is transferred to the subordinate for a long period of time) and one time (when the task is of a different nature).

In which cases is delegation of authority most often used? One of these cases we already mentioned isthe need to solve a highly specialized problem, in which the subordinate understands better than the boss. You can also delegate authority during the preparatory work, when you need to collect and process information.

But it is important to remember that are not subject to delegation:

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  setting goals;
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  making decisions on tactics and politics;
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  monitoring of the results of work;
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  issues of punishment and promotion of employees;
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  solving problems of special importance and high degree of risk.

Delegation of authority is useful for both the leader and subordinates. To the head it helps to save time,partially abandon the performance of low-level and routine work, better study subordinates and effectively use their strengths. Due to delegation, the subordinates expand competence and horizons, the level of freedom and independence increases, and the understanding of goals and objectives improves. However, it is necessary to delegate the authorities correctly, otherwise there will be no benefit from this.