Ladder of delegation

Imagine a situation where it is the manager's responsibility to ensure that the shop is stocked with coffee, tea, sugar and biscuits. As the manager responsible for this task, he or she may delegate to one of his or her employees the purchase of these products. However, this does not absolve the manager from the responsibility of controlling the size of the stock and remembering to replenish it regularly. In the event that coffee or tea ever runs out, this will be the result of the manager's negligence. Should the manager decide not to carry out this duty anymore, he can delegate it to one of his employees. This employee will then take over the responsibility of ensuring that the shop is adequately stocked: he or she controls stocks, plans purchases, manages the budget for this, etc., and is accountable to the manager for carrying out this duty.

What does a manager gain by delegating tasks:

• time to get the most important work done really well,
• increases the capacity and competence of its employees,
• feels proud when a number of employees are seriously committed to their work,
• is aware of greater flexibility in action,
• time to explore different issues - observation, analysis, discussion, professional development,
• the ability to concentrate on more difficult and important tasks, e.g. strategic planning.

In delegating responsibilities to another person and sharing responsibility for carrying out certain activities, you will find the Ladder of Delegation useful, which provides a clear signpost for effective delegation.