Delegation Skills

Our aim is to provide practical support for leaders, through quality materials at minimal cost.  We value your support.
Please distribute to staff.  Thanks for your support

Weekly Newsletter 5, 2007: Delegation
(Based on feedback, after this week this will become a fortnightly newsletter)

This week I want to look at how to achieve more through effective delegation.  When I began my leadership journey, I found it difficult to delegate.  I was worried that the people I delegated to could achieve, at best, possibly only 80% of what I could do.  Very soon I realised that if 5 people achieved 80% and I spread my 100% in assisting and guiding these 5, my 100% would then be achieving 4 to 5 times as much as I could do on my own.  Now that is a real bonus.  When I added recognition and appreciation to the supervision process, I found that individual job satisfaction grew enormously and with it, increased willingness to share the load.  Effective delegation really can be magic.  I have summarised a useful article and provided the headings below.
Available now: Workshop booklet and PowerPoint "Leadership and Delegation" for you to conduct your own PD. (See below).

Delegation Skills (To download the full text of this article, a 3-page, 28 Kb Microsoft Word document, click here).

Delegation and SMARTER
A simple delegation rule is the acronym SMARTER. It's a quick checklist for proper delegation. Delegated tasks must be: 

·   Specific 
·   Measurable 
·   Agreed 
·   Realistic 
·   Timebound 
·   Ethical 
·   Recorded 
The Steps Of Successful Delegation

1 Define the task
2 Select the individual or team
3 Assess ability and training needs
4 Explain the reasons
5 State required results
6 Consider resources required
7 Agree deadlines
8 Support and communicate
9 Feedback on results

Levels Of Delegation 
1 "Follow these instructions."
2 "Look into this and tell me what you come up with. I'll decide." 
3 "Give me your recommendation. I'll let you know whether you can go ahead." 
4 "Decide and let me know your decision, but wait for my go ahead." 
5 "Decide and let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to." 
6 "Decide and take action, but let me know what you did." 
7 "Decide and take action. You need not check back with me." 
8 "Decide where action needs to be taken and manage the situation accordingly. It's your area of responsibility now."

TRAINING MATERIALS:
Our materials take the effort out of quality professional development, allowing you to deliver the goods at a realistic cost.
Leadership and Delegation Objectives:
This module will enable you to define the key concepts associated with effective delegation.  This can be a one-day workshop, or can be run as a series of shorter sessions.  

The transfer to a subordinate the responsibility for carrying out a particular task while at the same time providing the necessary authority to achieve that task is an essential part of any leaders armoury.

This innovative leadership and delegation Learning package highlights the importance of effective delegation skills in achieving organisational objectives.

Program Description:

Within this Learning package participants will develop competence in:

What is Leadership?

What is Delegation?
·
        Delegation Versus Control Leadership Theories.
·        Qualities or Traits Approach
·        Functional or Group Approach
·        Leadership as a Behavioural Category
·        Leadership Styles
The Process of Delegation.
·        Accountability
·        Authority
·        Responsibility
·        What Can and Cannot Be Delegated
The Process of Delegation.
·        Six Step Model

Program materials: 45 page workbook (MS Word) and 88 slide PowerPoint.
Cost: $55.00 incl GST.

How We Help

MindSights "Your Mind At Work"
This amazing software is an amazing tool for all leaders who want to excel at their jobs.  The MS Word software complements all our training and development materials.  It provides thinking and planning patterns based on tasks you face!

These are the sections in our "Consultants On Demand" software.  This software provides around 500 pages (17.4 Mb of files) of templates for actions, prepared meeting agenda formats and expertly developed facilitation questions to assist in rapid progress towards goals.

Problem Solving Consultants
Basic Problem Solving:
 “Trouble shooting” - Quickly resolve urgent problems with this five-step process.
Systems Problem Solving: Comprehensive systems process to resolve complex problems.
Root Cause Analysis Problem Solving: Restores a prior, original or standard condition.
Resolve Any Problem:
Gradually resolve what may appear to be an insurmountable problem.
Innovation & Performance Improvement Consultants
Brainstorm, Creativity & Innovation: Turn creative ideas into innovative solutions.
Performance Improvement: Learn Six-sigma DMAIC processes and tools.
Describe & Define: Collect and understand “relevant” data to improve innovative thinking.
Planning Consultants
Strategic Planning: Develop action plans to achieve your organization’s mission & vision.
Goal Setting: Set meaningful goals that are achievable.
Preferred Futures: Anticipate and prepare for potential future problems or opportunities.
Management & Leadership Consultants
Project Management: Execute project and achieve objectives (quality, on time, within budget).
Time Management: Find ways to improve use of both work and personal time. 
Decision Making: Improve decision-making certainty.
Team Building:
Build and maintain a high performance team and work environment. 

Career Management
Email Mel to arrange one-one assistance in developing your career. 
I believe the new processes in Recruitment and Selection mean that you are now involved in a Career Management process.  The "good old days" (NOT!) of grabbing the Standards Framework and struggling to write an application are now gone forever, replaced by what I believe will be a more professionally rewarding system.  
Link with me to gain valuable insights into this process and your leadership skills, either through coaching or one-one Merit Selection insights and advice on application fine tuning. (Ph 5530 2676).  I have four (4) client positions left for this round.

Merit Selection Interview Skills
Workshop Dates

(Principals, Interview Skills)
Brisbane (Alderley) Saturday, 17 Mar
Brisbane (Alderley) 20 Mar
Gold Coast 21 Mar
Sun Coast 26 Mar
Toowoomba 28 Mar

(Assoc Admin, Interview Skills)
Brisbane (Alderley) Saturday, 24 Mar

Please contact Mel with suggestions for improvement, requests for articles, etc.  Please let me know how useful this is.  Feedback is valuable in improving the service - thanks.

In response to a request, I will soon have an archive of past "Pearls of Wisdom" and Newsletters available from the website.

Sent by Mel Phillips; (07) 5530 2676; mel@willdo.com.au; www.willdo.com.au
Please advise by blank email (subject "Unsubscribe") if you do not want to receive this professionally oriented newsletter.