What does delegation of authority mean? Pyramid of principles and values ​​in the company. Conditions for effective delegation of authority

The name of the principle itself contains a decoding of its basic meaning -

transfer by the manager of part of his official functions to subordinates without active interference in their actions. This optimization technique is usually called the method of delegation of powers and was discussed when considering the problems of decentralization of management. The role of the method of delegation of authority in management is so great that many researchers and practitioners tend to consider it as separate principle management.

The principle of delegation of authority consists in the transfer by the manager of part of the powers, rights and responsibilities assigned to him to his competent employees.

At its core, delegation is a way of getting work done by others. This is a technique of a strong leader. Authority is delegated as far down as possible. Only the manager delegates authority to his subordinates to the level at which his competence and information for decision-making are located.

When delegating authority, the manager:

Delegates responsibilities (establishes);

Defines rights;

Determines the level of responsibility when exercising authority.

Benefits of delegation of authority:

Ability to engage in tasks that require personal involvement

manager;

Focus on strategic objectives and long-term plans

enterprise development;

Delegation is the best way to motivate creative and active people.

workers;

Delegation is the best way to learn;

Delegation - as a way to a professional career.

Let's take a closer look at the importance of practical application

delegation in enterprise management.

The main practical value of the principle is that the manager frees his time from less complex everyday affairs, routine operations and can concentrate his efforts on solving problems at a more complex management level; at the same time, which is very important for the manager, compliance with the controllability norm is ensured. At the same time, this method is a targeted form of employee training, promotes the motivation of their work, the manifestation of initiative and independence.

The main task of a manager is not to do the work himself, but to ensure that the work process is organized by the team, take responsibility and use power to achieve the goal. Building relationships between a boss and his subordinates on cunning, deception or flattery is immoral and hopelessly wrong. People, with all their individual differences, still behave predictably in an ordinary, routine situation - if the team knows its tasks and understands the methods used by the leader to achieve the goal with minimal difficulties, then you can confidently count on the support of the majority and find performers who can trust independent decision local and sometimes multifunctional tasks. Such an employee, singled out from the team for his undoubted organizational abilities and professional knowledge, is well aware of the benefits of the trust placed in him, is proud of the awareness of his importance and will try to justify the trust placed in him.

Delegation of powers is possible and advisable if the manager has prepared worthy performers, trusts them and can skillfully manage them. The performer must be professionally trained and have practical experience.

Methods for solving production and organizational problems are always multivariate, and if a subordinate uses his own, independent, and perhaps still suboptimal tactics of solutions, then this reveals another positive trait the principle of delegation of authority - the performer goes through a good and absolutely necessary school of management development, and learns to be independent. The performer asserts himself, his self-confidence and initiative grow. At the same time, it is important to remember that the performer has the right to make a mistake, and in this case the manager is obliged to provide him with all possible assistance in the most tactful form. After all, one of the main tasks of a leader is to develop the abilities and skills of a subordinate.

A particularly sensitive aspect of this principle is the organization of control over

actions of subordinates. Petty supervision will do nothing but harm (violation of the principle of least impact!), lack of control can lead to disruption of work and anarchy. The solution to the control problem lies in a clearly established feedback, in the free exchange of information between colleagues and, of course, in the fairly high authority and managerial skill of the leader. By the way, an experienced high-level official, wanting to form an objective opinion about the quality of the manager’s work, is always interested in how his subordinates work (this characterizes the manager very well).

The principle of delegation of authority will be effective if:

Subordinates really know and understand what new responsibilities have been transferred to them. An employee’s affirmative answer to the question whether everything is clear to him is not always truthful: he may be mistaken, or he may be afraid to admit that he did not understand everything;

The employee is prepared to perform new functions in advance, there is confidence in his ability to complete the task and is ensured

the action of the stimulation and motivation mechanism;

A subordinate will not receive “valuable instructions” from another superior over the head of his immediate superior;

The Contractor knows his rights and obligations without any uncertainty;

The performer is free in his actions: the less noticeable the participation

the leader in choosing ways to implement the assigned tasks, the better;

The performer is confident in his right to take calculated risks and the right to make mistakes. This is important both as a way to deal with routine and

inertia in the activities of the management apparatus;

Specific goals and deadlines for completing the assignment will be established;

The subordinate will correctly understand the need to control progress

implementation and provide objective information about deviations from

planned indicators;

The Contractor understands that he not only has the right to make operational decisions, but is also obliged to apply it if necessary. A person who has received authority not only can, but is also obliged, if the situation requires it, he must know that he will have to account not only for his decisions, but also for inaction. This provision is especially important when extreme situations, in times of crisis, when the human factor becomes especially important.

It should be noted that the principle of delegation of authority is timidly applied by persons who have recently received a promotion, because It is difficult for them to abandon the usual stereotype of past activities. A manager who sorts correspondence himself and types on a typewriter in front of a bored secretary evokes regret, but not sympathy. Sometimes the principle of delegation of authority does not give the expected effect - the performer does not fully perform the leadership functions assigned to him. Most often this happens in cases where it is necessary to make unpopular decisions in the team: imposing penalties for violations labor discipline, deprivation of bonuses, investigation of immoral acts of employees, etc. under various pretexts, the performer tries to transfer the solution to these problems to his manager in order to appear, as it seems to him, on the best side in the eyes of the team. Among other reasons, most often there is uncertainty about the correctness of the responsible decision being made, insufficient experience, and sometimes fundamental disagreement with the opinion of the manager. However, there is a set of management tasks, the solution of which should be left to the manager. This is, first of all, defining the goals, policies of the organization and making fundamental decisions. It is the duty of the first person to undertake tasks with a high degree of risk, of a particularly confidential nature and all unusual operations that go beyond the established regulations and traditions.

There is another sensitive issue- right to sign. Many managers believe that it is reasonable to centralize this right: the executor, the trustee, has thought through the decision, prepared the appropriate document and submits it to the manager for signature, who thus exercises his natural right of control. But this method of interaction indicates that only part of the rights is delegated to the performer and there are many objections to this method:

The performer, deprived of the right to sign, has every reason to believe that he is not fully trusted and such uncertainty does not contribute to mutual understanding;

Decentralization of signature rights speeds up the process of making management decisions and reduces the manager’s workload;

With the centralization of this right, it is difficult to establish the true culprits of an erroneous decision; often the manager signs the document, either without reading it, or without delving into its essence; the direct executor develops a tendency to transfer all responsible decisions to more high level management;

When the signature right is centralized, managers become confident in his significant superiority in knowledge over executive specialists; the manager often begins to identify his personality with the organization he heads. The effectiveness of delegation of authority is obvious, but not all managers are in a hurry to apply it for the following reasons:

Doubt about the competence of other employees, fear of what they will do

Fear of losing power and position. By giving part of my powers to others, they argue, I naturally reduce my rights, and this will not lead to good.

If the performer does not complete his new tasks, then he will have to urgently intervene and correct the mistakes of others. If the subordinate completes the tasks too well, then the management may quite reasonably think about my suitability for the position, i.e. fear that someone will do better;

Ambitiousness and distrust of subordinates. A low assessment of the abilities of your employees and inflated self-esteem give rise to distrust of the staff - it is better to do everything yourself;

Fear of receiving a negative assessment of one’s actions from colleagues and superiors: oneself, they say, is a slacker, does not want to work, shirks work and therefore likes to delegate one’s work to employees; It is incorrect to overload already busy people.

This principle once again confirms the validity of the well-known formula: “Never do yourself what your subordinates can do,

except in cases where human life is at risk."

I will continue the series of articles about effective leadership and management and will consider its very important component - delegation of authority. However, I would like to immediately draw your attention: it is possible and necessary to delegate powers not only to the manager: this principle, to some extent, must be applied to absolutely any person, and not only at work, but also in personal life, in everyday affairs. Today I will write about delegation of authority in management, but many of the principles described can be easily transferred to the life and affairs of any person.

If a person puts all the work, all the affairs only on himself, he will never be able to do it all effectively; due to excessive workload, the results and efficiency of his work will be very low, he will not have time to do anything and will always have a bunch of unresolved matters that will constantly be accumulate. This principle is a dead end, it will not lead to anything good. An alternative to it is competent delegation of authority.

After reading this article, you will learn in more detail why delegation of powers and responsibilities is necessary in management and in life, how to delegate powers correctly, how this process should occur, what are the basic principles of delegation of powers, what mistakes are most often made, and what powers cannot be delegated under no circumstances. I think you will find it interesting.

Delegation of powers and responsibilities.

Delegation of authority in management is the process of a manager transferring his specific tasks to a subordinate, taking into account his qualifications, skills, abilities and experience.

The purpose of delegation of authority is not to shift one’s work and responsibility onto other people, but to correctly distribute it among all participants in the business process, so that the overall result of the company or its division is as high as possible. By how competently a manager delegates authority, one can judge his effectiveness as a leader.

Delegation of authority is an important feature that distinguishes a performer from a manager. Even if a person holds a high position, until he learns to delegate authority correctly, he will remain an ordinary performer, “up to his ears with work,” and only with skillful delegation will he become a manager.

Delegation of authority to employees is what distinguishes a manager from a performer.

Types of delegation of authority.

There are 2 main types of delegation of authority:

1. Delegation of authority without transfer of responsibility– this is the transfer of work tasks to another employee, responsibility for which still remains with the manager (the employee performs the work, reports to his manager, and he reports to his superior manager);

2. Delegation of powers and responsibilities- this is the transfer to another employee of both tasks and responsibility for their implementation to senior management (the employee performs the work and reports to the senior manager).

Goals and objectives of delegation of authority.

Let's consider why delegation of authority is necessary, what goals and objectives it solves.

1. Concentration of the leader's attention on the main thing. The manager does not need to know everything down to the smallest detail in the work of his department. For him, the main thing is to fulfill strategic tasks. If a manager sticks his nose into every little thing, he simply won’t have enough time for really important things, and the company/division will work ineffectively. If a leader strives to do everything himself, then why does he need subordinates at all?

2. Creation of a personnel reserve. Delegating authority to employees allows you to identify the most responsible and effective performers among them in order to ensure their career growth and advancement.

3. Creating a healthy psychological climate in the team. By delegating authority, the manager must show that he trusts his subordinates to carry out important and responsible tasks. Thanks to this, they will feel their importance for the company and their contribution to the common cause. We can say that competent delegation of authority is one of the methods.

4. Increasing overall labor efficiency. Each employee of the company has his own purpose and his own job, which he can do better than others (including better than his manager). Through competent delegation of authority, transferring work tasks to those employees who can cope with them faster and better than others, you can achieve maximum efficiency of the company.

How to delegate authority?

So, we have already seen how important and necessary delegation of authority is, what strategic goals and objectives it solves, and now let’s talk about how to delegate authority correctly, competently and as efficiently as possible.

Not every employee can efficiently perform the work assigned to him, so the manager’s task is to correctly delegate authority, choosing those performing employees who will cope with the work in the best possible way.

To do this, you need to comply with important rules of delegation of authority. Let's consider what you need to consider when choosing an employee to delegate a task:

1. Skill level. The employee must be sufficiently qualified to perform the specific job;

2. Experience performing similar tasks. In addition to qualifications, it is highly desirable that the employee already has experience in successfully performing similar work;

3. Workload level. If an employee is already swamped with work, there is no need to delegate additional tasks to him, even if he is best suited to perform them. With excessive load, in any case, losses in the quality of work are inevitable.

4. Efficiency and stress resistance. And finally, it is imperative to take into account the personal psychological qualities of the employee: the task will be best completed by an employee who wants to complete it, who is motivated by it, who is psychologically ready and has a positive attitude towards its implementation. And, conversely, if delegating a task only puts stress on the employee, then he will not be able to complete it efficiently, even if he is a professional in this field.

When the specific performer of the task is determined, you can proceed to the process of delegation of authority. Here, too, certain principles must be observed.

Principles of delegation of authority.

1. Indication of the final result. Setting a task for a subordinate should begin with indicating the specific end result to which he must arrive, at which the work will be considered completed. At the same time, emphasize the importance of this work for the company and specifically for the employee to whom you delegate it (for example, this will mean for him professional growth, new necessary experience, etc.) - this way the employee will be better motivated.

2. Level of delegation of authority, deadlines, responsibility. The levels of delegation of authority should also be clearly defined, that is, the degree of independence of the employee in making decisions when performing the assigned task. There are 5 such levels in total:

Level 1. Strict adherence to directions. In this case, the employee clearly follows the instructions of the manager and strictly implements them. No “steps left and right”. If he encounters something that the manager did not indicate to him when setting the task, he will have to ask him what to do in this situation.

Level 2. Tight control. This level of delegation of authority assumes that the employee has little independence in choosing ways to complete the task, but he must notify the manager about all these methods and use them only after receiving approval.

Level 3. Recommendations. The manager gives the subordinate advice on how to do the job, which is advisory in nature. If desired, an employee can go beyond these recommendations if this will allow him to complete the job faster and more efficiently, without prior approval from his boss.

Level 4. Complete freedom of action and accountability. The manager provides the employee with the opportunity to independently search for any options for solving the problem, complete freedom of choice. The main condition is that he regularly reports on the progress of the task.

Level 5. Complete freedom of action. At the highest, fifth level of delegation of authority, the employee is given the opportunity to fully reveal his creative potential and act as he sees fit. In this case, it may not even be limited by the deadlines for completing the task. The manager exercises only general planned control.

It is very important for a manager to correctly select and distribute levels of delegation of authority for each task and for each employee, since in different situations it is advisable to choose different levels.

3. Discussion with the employee. The third principle of delegation of authority is that in order to increase the efficiency of the work process, it is advisable to first discuss the assigned task with the employee, find out his attitude towards it, how he sees himself in the role of performer, what options for solving the problem he is ready to use. Delegation of authority to employees will be most effective if it is built on the principle of partnership rather than on the principle of leadership and subordination.

4. Distribution of powers and responsibilities. Next principle delegation of authority and responsibility is to give the employee exactly as much authority as he needs to complete the task. Giving too much of them can lead to malpractice, and giving too little of them will prevent you from doing the job effectively. It is also important not to “overdo it” with access to confidential information, and also to clearly define the level of responsibility of the employee for completing the task.

5. Lower-level employees know the details better. The fifth principle of delegation of authority says that the details and subtleties of a particular work are always better understood by those directly performing it. Therefore, if you delegate a task related to such details to a senior employee, even one who is more experienced and professional, then he will take longer to complete because he will first spend time getting details from lower-level employees. Thus, it is better not to build such a chain, but to delegate the task immediately to someone who can handle it better and faster, regardless of position.

6. Artist support. The manager should not just delegate authority and forget, but provide the necessary support and assistance to the performer in implementing the task, if he needs it: advice, recommendations, praise, etc. This way the task will be completed faster and more efficiently.

7. Glasnost and publicity. All employees of a department or company should know who has been delegated what powers so that no misunderstandings arise between them. Of course, if we are not talking about performing some kind of secret work. Therefore, it is best to communicate the delegation of authority to employees publicly so that everyone can hear it.

8. Delegating interesting and important work. Under no circumstances should a manager delegate to his employees only the most “dirty,” menial, routine work, which he himself wants to get rid of. Such an approach will only have an extremely negative effect on the moral climate in the team and, as a result, the overall morale. It is necessary to entrust subordinates with important, interesting, creative tasks in which they could fully reveal their potential.

9. Suppression of attempts to further delegate and return powers. Imagine this: the head of a company delegates a task to his deputy, who delegates it commercial director, that one - to his deputy, that one - to the head of the department, that one - to the head of the sector, that one - to the shift supervisor, that one - to a specific performing employee. It's a waste of time and completely ineffective! And, unfortunately, in fact, this happens in many companies. Therefore, it is best to immediately entrust the task to a direct performer (using the 5th principle of delegation of authority), and if you entrust someone with the work, make sure that he does not delegate it to others. In addition, if an employee has been delegated powers, he should not return them without objective reasons.

10. The right motivation. And finally, the last rule of delegation of authority is that employees not only need to be loaded with work, but also properly motivated to do it. Please note that this is not the same thing! Motivation increases the efficiency and loyalty of employees, while excessive stimulation, on the contrary, reduces it.

Powers that cannot be delegated.

In conclusion, I would like to outline those types of powers that cannot be delegated and must necessarily be executed personally.

1. Strategic planning. The strategic directions of the company's development should be determined only by the manager. At the same time, he, of course, can consult with employees, be interested in their ideas, for example, using, but not delegate authority to determine plans for the development of the enterprise.

2. Hiring and firing staff. In a small company, all personnel issues should also be resolved by the immediate manager - the same applies to the work of a structural unit of a large company.

3. Gratitude to the employees. If you want to express gratitude to a certain employee on behalf of the company, this must be done exclusively in person and preferably in front of the entire team.

4. Important and high-risk tasks. There is no need to delegate authority to perform work that could have a significant impact on the company's business. Such tasks should also be performed personally.

Now you see what important role delegation of authority plays a role in management, you know how to delegate authority, what principles and rules must be followed.

In the end, I would like to remind you about prioritizing your work and... Considering this effective tool, it is necessary to delegate authority, first of all, to perform unimportant but urgent matters. This way, your use of working time will be as efficient as possible!

I wish you success in the practical implementation of the advice and recommendations received. Delegate authority correctly and do not forget to monitor the execution of assigned tasks by subordinates. See you again at !

Authority represent a limited right and responsibility to use the organization’s resources, make decisions independently, give orders and implement.

Authority is vested in the position, not the person holding it.

Authority comes in two general types:

• linear;
• hardware (headquarters).

Line authority

They are transmitted directly from the boss to the subordinate and further along the chain to other subordinates. A manager with line authority also has the right to make decisions and act in certain matters without the approval of other managers, for example, within the limits established by law or the organization's charter.

The sequential chain of emerging linear powers creates a hierarchy of management levels. The most obvious example of a chain of command is hierarchy military organization. When the chain of commands is long, there is a significant slowdown in the speed of information exchange.

There are two concepts that must always be taken into account: the principle of unity of command and the need to limit the norm of control.

According to the principle of unity of command an employee must receive authority from only one superior and answer to him.

Controllability rate— this is the number of employees who directly report to this manager.

Staff powers

These powers help the organization to use specialists without violating the principle of unity of command to solve problems of an advisory or service nature.

The main types of staff powers are divided into recommendation, coordination, control and reporting, and conciliation.

Recommendations powers lie in the fact that their holder, if necessary, can give advice to managers or performers who need them on how best to resolve this or that narrowly professional issue.

Coordination powers are associated with the development and adoption of joint decisions.

Control and reporting powers provide the opportunity for their holders to carry out, within an officially established framework, verification of the activities of managers and performers, require them to provide mandatory information, carry out its analysis and send the results obtained, together with the conclusions received, to the relevant authorities.

The principle of delegation of authority

Within the framework of the management structure, there is a rational distribution and redistribution of rights, duties and responsibilities between its subjects. This process, the principles of which were developed in the 1920s. P.M. Kerzhentsev, was called “delegation of organizational powers and responsibility.”

Delegation- is the process of a manager transferring part of his official functions to subordinates without active interference in their actions.

The principle of delegation of authority consists in the transfer by the manager of part of the powers, rights and responsibilities assigned to him to his competent employees.

• routine work;
• specialized activities;
• private and minor issues;
• preparatory work.

However, there is a set of management tasks, the solution of which should be left to the manager. The duty of the first person in the company is to undertake tasks with a high degree of risk, containing aspects of strategic importance and of a confidential nature and all unusual ones that go beyond the established regulations and traditions of the operation.

• establishment;
• development of organizational policy;
• employee management and motivation;
• high-risk tasks;
• unusual and exceptional cases;
• tasks of a strictly confidential nature.

When delegating authority, the manager delegates (establishes) responsibilities; determines the rights and level of responsibility when exercising powers.

• the ability to engage in tasks that require the personal participation of the manager;
• focusing on strategic objectives and long-term plans for the development of the enterprise;
• this is the best way to motivate creative and active workers;
• this is the best way to learn;
• it is a way to have a professional career.

• doubt about the competence of other employees, fear that they will do worse;
• fear of losing power and position;
• distrust of subordinates, low grade their abilities;
• ambition and high self-esteem;
• fear that his actions will be misinterpreted by colleagues and superiors.

Let us consider in more detail the importance of the practical application of delegation in enterprise management.

Practical application of delegation in enterprise management

Delegation of powers occurs not only in the official, but also for the most part on a semi-official or even unofficial basis, and presupposes the presence of a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team and mutual trust between managers and performers. Delegation of authority is preceded by significant preparatory work. It consists of determining: why, to whom, and how to delegate authority? What benefits can be obtained for him, his subordinates themselves and the organization as a whole? What obstacles might arise?

Main practical value The principle of delegation of authority is that the manager frees his time from less complex everyday affairs, routine operations and can concentrate his efforts on solving problems at a more complex management level. At the same time, this method is a targeted form of employee training, promotes the motivation of their work, the manifestation of initiative and independence.

The main task of a leader- not to do the work yourself, but to ensure the organization of the labor process with forces, take responsibility and use power to achieve the goal.

A particularly sensitive aspect of the principle of delegation is organizing control over the actions of subordinates. Constant guardianship only hurts. Lack of control can lead to disruption and anarchy. The solution to the problem of control lies in clearly established feedback, in the free exchange of information between colleagues and, of course, in a sufficiently high authority and managerial skill of the leader.

The problem of psychological choice often arises: Which task should be entrusted to a performer familiar or fundamentally new?. Most often, execution is delegated new task, especially if it seems unattractive and routine to the manager. This decision is not always correct. The problem is that, having delegated the solution to a task to someone else, the manager is still responsible for its implementation and control, and even more so, it is much easier to simply observe (so-called monitoring) the progress of the implementation of a familiar problem.

Experienced administrators often entrust a capable performer with a little more complex tasks than he is used to doing. In this case, it is advisable to prepare the task in the form of a written order. Having received a difficult task, the performer opens up more fully and receives sincere satisfaction from completing the task and the trust placed in him.

It should be noted that the principle of delegation of authority is little used by people who have recently received a promotion, because It is difficult for them to abandon the usual stereotype of past activities. However, a manager who himself sorts correspondence and types on a typewriter in front of a bored secretary evokes regret, but not sympathy.

Sometimes principle of delegation of authority does not give the expected effect: the performer does not fully perform the leadership functions assigned to him. Most often this happens in cases where it is necessary to make unpopular decisions in the team: imposing penalties for violation of labor discipline; deprivation of bonuses; investigation of immoral acts of workers, etc. Under various pretexts, the performer tries to transfer the solution to these problems to his manager in order to appear, as it seems to him, on the best side in the eyes of the team. Among other reasons, the most often cited are uncertainty about the correctness of the responsible decision being made, insufficient experience, and fundamental disagreement with the opinion of the manager.

• The powers must be sufficient to achieve the goals set for the subject. Therefore, it should be remembered that goals are always primary and determine the scope of the powers granted.
• The powers of each subject must be linked to the powers of those with whom it has to cooperate in order to ensure their interaction and, ultimately, the balance of the entire management system.
• Authority in the organization must be clear so that each employee knows from whom he receives it, to whom he transfers it, to whom he is responsible and who must answer to him.
• Performers must independently solve all problems within their competence and bear full responsibility for their activities and their results.

Any manager is constantly faced with the need delegate authority. And if the manager believes that if “you want it done well, do it yourself” - this is not always a healthy topic.

Delegation of authority- this is when a manager delegates some of the tasks to his subordinates. At the same time, the manager must make sure that his employee is able to complete the task quickly and with sufficient quality. In general, it is believed that delegation is one of the most important functions of a manager, who must distribute work among different employees so that the work is done as quickly, efficiently, and efficiently as possible (with minimal costs).

There are leaders who do not touch any work with their own hands, but only tell others what to do. Sometimes such situations reach extremes and absurdity, when the manager delegates a small task to an employee, and then makes an endless number of small amendments. As a result, both the manager and his subordinate waste time in vain, since initially it would be easier for the manager to do what he wants on his own. There is also the other extreme. When a manager prefers not to delegate his tasks, but to do as much work as possible independently. This leads to the fact that employees can stand virtually idle. And the manager becomes overloaded with work. Both are extremes and unhealthy topics.

There are a number of basic management functions accepted in most business schools in the world:

• planning;
• organization;
• motivation;
• control;
• coordination.

The delegation process is closely intertwined with each of these functions.

Why is it important to delegate your authority?

• A leader who does not delegate Not being empowered properly can cause team downtime and also risks getting bogged down in details when his direct job is to keep an eye on the big picture. The importance of delegation is obvious.
• the manager is physically unable to keep track of all business processes in company. Especially if we are not talking about a small business, but about a developed enterprise that has dozens or even hundreds of employees on its staff. Strictly speaking, the manager must set the direction for each employee or department (establish a plan), organize the effective implementation of the plan, coordinate work with other departments or employees of the company, “give everyone a kick” and periodically monitor the implementation of work without falling into all the serious “microcontrol” .
• delegation of important powers will help train certain employees important skills that will be useful for business in the future. Let's say your middle manager suddenly quits. But since you have delegated part of your powers to a young and promising employee, then at that moment he will already be ready to replace the person who was suddenly fired (or left at his own request);
• delegation of authority is an opportunity to look, which of the employees is capable of what in “real tasks”, and not in words.
• The maximum effect can be obtained by delegating those tasks, which your subordinate can perform significantly better than you. For example, an intern as a student has a lot of energy and is sometimes ready to take on almost any job. At the same time, students, due to their age, can show phenomenal labor productivity. Behind a short time they can shovel a large layer of work. A professional programmer will complete a task in one evening that an inexperienced student could struggle with for a week if he does not have similar experience. Always select an employee according to the task at hand.

In fact, management, delegation of authority and management are identical concepts (synonyms).

How to delegate authority correctly

To delegate correctly, you need to have mental clarity. The worst thing you can do as a leader is to define the task unclearly., without written documentation of the task and clear evaluation criteria. By saying something verbally, you run the risk of being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Further, it is unwise to set a deadline big project like yesterday". If you assign an employee a task that was already on fire yesterday, then you are a bad manager. You must set reasonable deadlines and constantly monitor the progress of the work. You can use the goal setting criteria SMART or any other criteria.

Further, selecting an employee, you need to take into account his interests, abilities and inclinations, as well as knowledge and experience. How effectively can it perform this specific task? It’s good if this employee has already worked on similar projects. This will reduce the likelihood of failure.

A novice employee without experience should be loaded with tasks that will not be too difficult for him. Or place a more experienced mentor over him.

Another tip is set your priorities for a subordinate. For example, if this particular specialist is overloaded with work, then by giving him a new task, he should be freed from some other work. Otherwise, you risk that the employee may have a nervous breakdown. It’s worse if he suffers from the syndrome professional burnout or physical health problems will begin.

A person who is not interested in a project is unlikely to complete it on time and with sufficient quality. On the contrary, a passionate employee can exceed all your expectations.

Principles of delegation

Having chosen an executor, you can begin to delegate powers. And here it is important to clearly define the desired result. If you give a task to a programmer, then it doesn’t hurt to draw up a so-called technical specification (specification specification), which will describe in detail the final result of the programmer’s work. And the more detailed and accessible the end result is described, the closer to the expected result you will receive.

Even if you give a task that involves a creative approach (logo design), you must still describe approximately what result you want to get. What should be depicted in the future logo, what color scheme is preferable for the logo, examples of logos that you like. From my own experience, I am convinced that the more detailed you write out the terms of reference, the better the result you will get.

If you don’t describe the task in writing and say everything in words and the subordinate does not always remember what you mean, this, of course, seems to have a negative impact on the employee’s motivation. Thus, if you vaguely set the task (plan), then you will demotivate the employee (motivation). The same negative effect can be achieved if you set obviously impossible deadlines. All this is typical of bad managers.

Another subtlety that needs to be remembered is not only the needs of the company, but also what exactly this particular employee wants. U different people motivation is different. For some, only money is of primary importance and he will be well motivated by a possible bonus. For others, recognition is important. For the third - something else. Maslow's pyramid of motivation illustrates this idea well. But the priorities in the pyramid of needs for each individual person can be seriously different.

Get as detailed as possible what you want to get from the employee, where the boundaries of his authority will lie, agree on a schedule of checkpoints when you will check what stage of the work. On the one hand, this will allow the employee to stay on course and allow you to make timely adjustments to his work. On the other hand, by doing this you will realize another important function management is control.

One more tip. Agree work of a subordinate with other departments and colleagues. In many ways, problems arise due to inconsistency and lack of coordination. Also, the employee must be given all the necessary powers and provided with a sufficient number of all necessary resources. People, money, equipment.

When carrying out work, the framework within which the initiative will be appropriate can be agreed upon in advance. The first level is when a person must complete the work and wait for further valuable instructions. That is, the initiative is not welcome. And the fifth highest level of initiative and freedom of choice on how to carry out a project is carte blanche, when the subordinate is not limited in anything. Maximum level freedom during project implementation suitable for creative people and accomplished professionals, since they, as a rule, do not like too rigid boundaries and tend to do work thinking with their heads.

When setting tasks, it is worth getting processing feedback from the performer. What does he think about this task, in what time frame will he be ready to implement it? this project into life and what options for solving the problem he sees and what unforeseen difficulties there may be. If you begin to impose on an employee your own vision of how to complete this or that task, you may not hear more interesting ideas and, and the employee may be depressed because what he thinks is not the optimal solution to the problem is being imposed on him. It is worth looking for partnerships with subordinates. The “as I said, so it will be” scheme can lead to the fact that a resignation letter is thrown in the manager’s face due to at will. You should never forget about the human factor.

It is advisable that when delegating authority, the employee is sufficiently independent in implementing the project and only occasionally agrees on something with you. If your subordinates turn to you on every minor issue, then the meaning of delegation is lost. The basic idea of ​​delegation is that an employee takes on a task and solves it. At the same time, the manager must have time to solve other problems and coordinate other projects. The local specialists to whom you delegate something must have the knowledge and competence to solve the assigned task many times faster and more efficiently than the manager due to the division of labor and the fact that they face similar tasks every day.

I once had a manager who, instead of evaluating the results of my work and clearly setting goals, constantly looked at the source code of my program (I worked as a programmer). Then he made such changes to it that I often stopped understanding how the program worked. As a result, this slowed down my work, slowed down the work of my immediate supervisor, and as a result, our work together was extremely ineffective.

Having given an employee a task, he needs to be given reasonable support. For example, from the line manager. This is especially true for complex projects. At the very least it should be moral support.

When setting goals, it can be useful to diversify the tasks assigned. As a rule, employees don’t particularly like it when they dump only rough drafts on them. creative work. For example, asking for a report and not even explaining why it is needed. If a subordinate does not understand the meaning of the work being performed, he is unlikely to do it with sufficient quality and enthusiasm.

If you explain to the employee the importance of the work being performed and explain what depends on this work, it will increase the motivation of the staff and it is unlikely that he will try to avoid this work. If an employee does not want to do this work, it is worth understanding the reason and perhaps selecting another performer for this work. You should cultivate professionalism and independence in your employees. But at the same time, powers should be transferred in stages.

Main mistakes when transferring authority

If you cannot clearly, clearly and concisely explain what you want to achieve from your subordinate, then 100% of the possible failure of the project will lie on your conscience.

When you set a task, you also need to hear feedback. Did the performer understand what was expected of him and how he understood it.

Another aspect is that when delegating authority, you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the person to whom you are giving the assignment. How efficient he is, how emotionally stable he is, and also how busy he is with work. An overworked employee may simply freak out or burn out if he is loaded even more.

As Stephen Covey writes, you need to treat your subordinates with care and respect. Then they, in turn, will project this onto the corporate culture and onto end clients. And in case of failures or mistakes, it should follow, and not an emotionally unrestrained flow of emotions.

When delegating authority, you should be aware that not everything can be delegated and some things should not be delegated.

What powers should not be delegated?

The development of a strategy should not be delegated. For example, you can completely remove yourself from the operational management of the company if you are the owner. But if you stop setting the direction for the development of a project or business, then it’s not entirely obvious how it might end.

In small and medium-sized businesses, it is worthwhile to independently participate in hiring staff, and not outsource all this work to HR specialists.

Extremely urgent, high-priority, or high-risk tasks should be completed yourself. Otherwise, can you consider yourself a top manager or an entrepreneur?

This list of tasks can be expanded or narrowed. But most management experts agree that these are the tasks that should not be delegated.

The bottom line is that effective delegation requires that you think before you delegate. Delegation is to work on the most important tasks and transfer part of your work to subordinates.

Delegation of authority is the transfer or redistribution of a task or part of the functions within the personnel hierarchy of an organization or enterprise. Essentially, any work process consists of delegation of authority - after all, this is the work of a well-coordinated team. At the same time, the success of the company will depend on the correct understanding and accuracy of implementation of the basic principles and methods. Incorrect or limited delegation of authority has an extremely negative impact on the work process as a whole and on the general atmosphere in the team.

At the same time, the level of success falls equally both with unscrupulous management, who do not want to take an active and sensitive part in the work, transferring the entire volume of work to structural units and does not control implementation, and with an overly cautious and responsible boss, who prefers to solve problems individually. If in the first case there is lack of professionalism, then the second option is often found among first-class specialists who are well acquainted with all the stages and intricacies of the work process, but do not have the basic skill of a good manager, which is the ability to correctly set tasks and achieve their effective and timely completion.

World expert in the field of psychology of success, Brian Tracy, elegantly defines delegation by saying: “is the achievement of a result through the efforts of other people.” He also gives brilliant advice to those who are still captivated by fears of delegation - set a task for the employee and... leave him alone. Excessive control not only demotivates subordinates, but also creates fertile ground for placing the entire burden of responsibility on the boss, leading to stagnation and conscious refusal of career and personal growth.

Advice: It is necessary to remember what distinguishes a manager from a highly qualified specialist. The first may not have full awareness of technical side process, at the same time must be able to set tasks, determine the main methods for their implementation and bear full responsibility for the result. Otherwise, even the highest qualifications do not justify an unlawfully held position.

There are several key principles of delegation of authority, by applying which the manager will receive a healthy atmosphere and a properly organized work process.

1. Clear task setting . The performer must be provided with the entirety of the upcoming task, including its main purpose and additional information. At the same time, it is important to set a framework for responsibility - although the main burden for the consequences falls on the manager, the performer must be made aware of the consequences in case of failure to meet or miss deadlines. It wouldn’t be amiss to outline general position things - level of importance, degree of risks in case of bad or insufficient results, prospects for the company. This is necessary for sufficient motivation of the performer.
2. Selecting the level and measure of responsibility . There are five levels of control and degrees of freedom and responsibility that help in setting goals. When redistributing a task, it is necessary to correctly assess at what level the performer is (employee, group or structural unit).

Level 1 : strict obedience and strict adherence to instructions, enhanced control over both the implementation process and time frames (suitable for routine work, office work, technical work).

Level 2 : employees are given the right to choose the necessary methods of execution, but such freedom is limited by mandatory agreement with management (used in the case when a specialist better acquainted with technical details and is able to suggest the shortest path to solve the problem).

Level 3 : the briefing is advisory and not mandatory, but employees are required to provide a report at the end of each stage of the task (the performer has sufficient competence or experience in performing similar tasks).

Level 4 : an employee is capable of preparing and completing the entire cycle of a given task; he has the right to choose methods and methods for solving it independently, but is obliged to report to the manager about the stages of implementation (usually used when delegating to heads of departments, departments and groups who are strictly limited by time frames and are fully responsible for the result).

Level 5 : unlimited freedom of action in solving a problem, lack of time frames and limits - often used in work related to creativity or in the absence of risks.

1. Discussion and the opportunity for feedback for clarification and reporting. It is necessary to ensure that the employee correctly understands the goals and priorities, and understands the level of responsibility. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the opportunity to contact the manager if difficulties arise or obstacles to achieving the goal.
2. Distribution of powers according to the qualities, job responsibilities and qualifications. Since delegation of powers involves their transfer not from person to person, but distribution among positions, with proper organization of work this principle is based on job descriptions. But the human factor is no less important; current circumstances must also be taken into account: workload level, personal qualities of subordinates, permission to access confidential information.
3. Opportunity to attract junior management. Turning to specific specialists and performers often brings good result. Such personnel are faced with the nuances of the work process every day; assigning tasks directly to junior managers saves time and helps them cope with the task more efficiently through non-standard or specific solutions.
4. Workflow openness– each employee must be aware of the common task, represent the hierarchy of its implementation and be able to freely contact process participants to obtain the necessary information or collaboration on a specific project.
5. Prohibition on reverse delegation of authority or transfer through the official hierarchy without approval. The head of the department has the right to distribute the stages of the project between specialists, but should not transfer the full implementation of tasks to his subordinates or related departments, or refuse to accept authority, taking advantage of the responsibility of his manager.

Basic methods of delegation of authority in a company and in production

• General statement of tasks - used when distributing tasks structural divisions enterprises.
• Detailed instruction - used when the employee is insufficiently qualified (non-standard assignment or training of trainees.
• Parallel assignment to several executors - such simultaneous transfer of one project to several executors can be effective when there is a need for competition and the possibility of choosing the best result or.
• Parallel distribution among structural units - suitable for dividing a common task into blocks and stages that require specialists different levels and qualifications.

Types of powers and centralization of management

Powers are divided into 2 types (according to the “matryoshka” and “herringbone” principles):

1. Centralized (without transfer of responsibility) - they are characterized by regulation of the activities of all departments, departments and groups from above, and all personnel are subject to the developed and approved regulations - from top management to the lowest level employees.
2. Decentralized – large-scale tasks are set before top management, and they, in turn, are endowed with the right to independently find ways to solve them and redistribute parts of the task among subordinates.

In practice, both of these types are intertwined with each other - when effective management their application depends on the situation and exists in parallel to each other. Excessive centralization of management is a warning sign. Its manifestations become noticeable - tasks are duplicated, deadlines are missed, the staff of performers increases, but productivity remains low.

Why is delegation of authority carried out and why is it necessary?

Delegation of powers is intended to relieve the boss as much as possible, freeing him from routine work to solve more important problems. complex issues. In addition to the function of “unloading” and freeing up time, this principle has other tasks - raising the level of specialists, additional motivation, and professional growth of employees.

A competent manager is required to be able to see the task as a whole, know methods for solving it, and have a staff of qualified specialists to carry it out. A well-organized work team should be a well-oiled mechanism, with a clear understanding of the functions and tasks of each department.

Main purposes of delegation of authority

Proper delegation of authority allows you to decide large quantity tasks, achieve goals more effectively, and ensure interchangeability. As a result, such a company is more likely to gain a competitive advantage in the market than one where the staff works under the leadership of a less experienced manager.

Advantages, difficulties and problems of delegation of authority

Most often, it is the incorrect organization of the work process that prevents you from taking advantage of the fruits of delegation of authority - for example, errors in the development of the enterprise’s document flow. The habit of distributing tasks verbally or using paper logs does not allow you to track either the specific performer or what stage the task is at. Even with proper delegation, it is necessary to take care of a system that allows each employee to see the distribution of responsibilities and stages of implementation.

The second important component of success is annual certification. This procedure should not be treated with disdain - a properly conducted interview of employees will reveal their potential, determine the group of responsibility, and evaluate personal qualities and aspirations. The main idea of ​​such certification is not so much to update the personnel reserve by getting rid of ballast, but to understand what type of work is more effective to entrust to a particular employee.

When testing, it is important to evaluate the psychological factor - workers in the same position differ - some are able to express themselves to the maximum under time pressure and are stress-resistant, others are lost under force majeure, but are indispensable for large volumes of paperwork or routine work, are diligent and attentive to details .

An obvious advantage of delegation is the ability to substitute in the form monetary reward(prizes and bonuses) for career prospects and continuous development. You should not forget about this factor when talking with employees - after all, many leave stability for competitors only because a series of similar assignments sucks them in, and a person, not seeing prospects and not trying new things, is forced to quit to realize his career aspirations.

On the way to achieving the main goals of delegation of authority: efficiency of the work process and motivation of personnel, other difficulties arise. One of them is the inability to correctly assess the level of an employee, distrust of the level of his responsibility and qualifications, and even the reluctance to develop competitors who threaten to replace their leader.

Often, an insurmountable barrier is the awareness of the manager’s significantly greater responsibility - after all, in the event of a failure or poor-quality work, the performer usually risks only a reprimand or a fine, while top management is always aware of the damage that can be caused to the company as a whole.

On one side of the scale are personal risks and inconveniences, on the other is the success and prosperity of the company. It is important to understand here that the ability to organize the entire system in the workplace and establish a cycle from setting a large-scale problem to the smallest nuances of its solution will become business card a good manager. It is this that distinguishes a manager from an ordinary specialist, and it also distinguishes this position in the remuneration system.

Practitioner Tips for Delegation: “Design and Walk Away”

Dmitry Voloshin (Director of Research and Education Department, Mail Group company) claims that the main difficulty lies in two things: choosing a performer and choosing a task. In order for the choice of a candidate to be successful, it is necessary not only to carefully listen to him and analyze what is said, but also mutual trust - the boss will not doubt the employee’s skills, and the employee must believe that the manager sets real tasks for him and has experience in solving them.

When setting a task, one of the important factors is the team’s development prospects, which means that each new assignment is intended to be a little more difficult than the previous one.

Dmitry Kalaev (director of the IIDF accelerator) speaks about the importance of not only being able to delegate, but also doing it as clearly and accessible as possible. You need to learn to switch from confidence: “no one can handle this problem better than me” to asking the question: “will the employee be able to solve it efficiently.” Learn to delegate only those tasks that you yourself understand, and make sure that the selected candidate clearly sees the ways and means of solving it.