DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

A delegation of authority occurs when one person (the delegator) entrusts another (the delegate)
delegate), the task of carrying out an activity that falls under the responsibility of the former.
It consists of delegating command functions to other people at subordinate levels. It is a
decentralized modality of power exercise and is characteristic of management styles
democratic.

Responsibility is the obligation of a person to carry out the tasks or activities assigned to them.
they have been assigned. There must be a relationship between the authority of the individuals and the authority that is
grants them.

Reasons to delegate authority:

• Company growth.

• Difficulties in exercising centralized command.

• Democratic leadership styles.

• Staff motivation policies.

Importance of delegating functions and responsibilities to allow middle management:

• Have more time for control and supervision functions.

• Share the responsibility.

• Transmit knowledge.

• Prepare the staff for new positions.

• Develop the staff.

• Favor specialization.

• Allow decision-making from a more realistic perspective.

Advantages of delegation:

Executive: Save time and management

Enhance managerial capabilities

Free from the pressure of immediate work

Reduce company costs (since the manager can dedicate themselves to other functions.

Empleado: Incrementa la participación, Incrementa motivación

Disadvantages of delegation:

They are common in a type of authoritarian leadership.

Poor delegation can lead to the failure of the manager, they may think they are losing.
authority or does not trust its subordinates.

The delegation of tasks without justification.

For delegation to be effective

The following conditions must be met:

Set clear and precise objectives.

2. Clearly define the tasks and functions assigned to each person who receives authority.
delegate.

3. Delegate to individuals with the capacity, training, and willingness to carry out the delegated work.

4. Grant the delegate sufficient authority to carry out the delegated task.

5. Provide the appropriate means to exercise the authority received.

6. Establish appropriate control criteria.

7. Delegate broadly, accepting the decisions of the delegated person.

8. Adopt a policy of incentives and penalties that reinforces the actions of those who exercise.
delegated authority.

9. Judge the results of the delegate based on the objectives set at the beginning.

Criteria for carrying out an efficient delegation of authority

To ensure that a delegation of authority is as efficient as possible, it must be carried out

certain requirements:

Be receptive: have an open mind to give opportunities to others' ideas, promote the
initiative of the subordinate. Not always impose their will.

Granting decision-making: respecting and not assuming the decision-making that to the
it corresponds to the subordinate.

Renouncing decision-making: once responsibility has been delegated, it is up to the

subordinate the decision-making to carry out the delegated activity.

Keep in mind that errors beyond your control may arise: first admit them and then
correct them, train and carefully explain the policies and objectives or adequately choose the
personal to whom I delegated the authority.

Trust in the subordinate: since the delegation of authority implies an act of trust, perform
a good selection of the staff to whom I delegate authority.

Utilize effective controls: as the highest authority, establish monitoring mechanisms

that ensure the achievement of the objectives.

Conclusion

The way to improve the ability to delegate authority is by accepting that subordinates
develop your skills and gain experience. The initial mistakes that you make
subordinates must be considered by the boss, as the cost of preparing people for
higher level duties and responsibilities.

The delegating authority must be more concerned about the results achieved by the person.
who delegated to him, in the way he carried out the work.
 It is necessary to have two parties willing for the delegation to be effective: a command willing
to delegate and a subordinate willing to accept the authority and responsibility of that delegation.
If these requirements are not met by both parties, the delegation will be disastrous for the future.
organization.

MODULE 7: DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

Definition concept
Advantages of delegation
Disadvantages of delegation
Critical barriers to delegation
Value yourself as a delegator

The Stafford-Grant approach to delegation

OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this unit is to understand the concept of delegation.

Know when to delegate and how to do it

Discover if you are a good delegator
Analyze the tasks to be delegated and the people to whom they are delegated.

DEFINITION
The definition of delegation is to give from one person to another the jurisdiction that one has by virtue of their office.
to carry out some tasks or to confer his representation.
Another possible direction would be the process that allows us to assign a task to a collaborator.
to perform a task, granting it the necessary authority and freedom, but retaining
always the final responsibility for the outcome.
The delegation simultaneously implies the obligation to account to the superior for the
tasks that have been delegated.
Advantages of delegation:

Executive: Save time and management

Enhances managerial capabilities
Free from the pressure of immediate work
Reduce company costs (as the executive can focus on
Other functions.
Employee: Increase participation
Increase motivation
Disadvantages of delegation:
They are common in a type of authoritarian leadership.

Poor delegation can lead to the executive's failure; they may think they are losing.
authority or does not trust its subordinates.

The delegation of tasks without justification.

For the delegation to be effective, the following conditions must be met:

Clearly define the task to be performed, the objectives to be achieved, deadlines, and authority.
associated.
Voluntary acceptance, as delegated tasks normally do not form part of the
set of tasks that are part of the employee's job.
Supervision of the delegated task according to its importance and difficulty at the end of it or
during its process at different stages.
Critical barriers to delegation:
Barriers of the delegator

Preference for acting more than for directing.

Requirement that everyone "knows all the details"

The fallacy that 'I can do it better myself'

Lack of experience in work or in delegating

Insecurity

Fear of not being accepted

Refusing to accept errors

Lack of trust in subordinates

Perfectionism, which leads to excessive control

Lack of organizational skills to balance workloads

Do not delegate authority in accordance with responsibility.

Uncertainty in tasks and inability to explain oneself

Lack of inclination to perfect subordinates

Inability to establish effective controls and a good monitoring system.

Delegate barriers

Lack of experience

Incompetence
 Avoidance of responsibilities

Disorganization

Overdependence on the boss

Work overload

Diving into trivialities

Barriers of the situation

Policy of 'the great man does everything'

Error intolerance

Critically of decisions

Urgency, without giving time for explanations (direction due to crisis)

Confusion in responsibilities and authority

Staff shortage

Both directors and subordinates sometimes reject the advantages of delegation due to the
following reasons:
Directors:
Renounce to yield a bit of authority
Inability to consider delegation as a means to enhance team effort.
Ignorance of what to delegate

Ignorance of how to delegate

Restrict the delegation to only one or two subordinates
Not providing sufficient support to subordinates who exercise delegated authority.
Insistence that the delegated functions be exercised just as they would carry them out.
Jealousy of her personal improvement

Preference for addressing issues personally

Lack of trust in your staff
Fear of taking prudent risks
Inability to perfect their personnel
Leaving successes unrewarded
Delegation by abdication
Delegation of 'take and put'; more of 'take' than 'put'.
Delegation of responsibility but with limited authority
 Subordinates:
Waiver of accepting additional responsibilities
Inability to see delegation as a means to grow and learn
Feeling that only unpleasant tasks are delegated
Confusion about the expectations of the Boss

Group pressures not to volunteer

A 'scalded cat flees from cold water' attitude
Resentment for not being known for his common sense
Desire to delegate upwards to keep the boss busy
Fear of incurring the wrath of the Boss
Disrespect to the director
Fear of being reprimanded, even for small mistakes
Feeling undervalued in their true measure
Feeling of being used and abused.
To be unaware of the ground they are walking on

Ignorance of authority and its limits, granted by delegation

Value yourself as a delegator

How to know if delegation is done correctly? The following list of questions serves to evaluate the
delegation

Do you regularly take work home?

Do you work more hours than your colleagues?

Do you spend some of your time doing for others what they could do for themselves?

When you return to the office after an absence, do you find your inbox too full?

Is he still engaging in activities and solving problems he had before his last promotion?

Do you often get interrupted with inquiries and requests about ongoing projects and work already?
assigned?

Do you spend your time on routine details that others could handle?

Do you like to have a finger in every pie?

Are you always in a hurry to meet the deadline?

10- Are they unable to stick to priorities?

Delegating means transferring to others the authority and responsibility to develop certain tasks.
satisfactory delegation implies that those to whom tasks are delegated know what they
They have to succeed, they want to achieve it, they have the means to do it and the ability to accomplish it.

Every act of delegation is based on the relationship that exists between the subordinate and their boss.
mutual respect they have for each other as people and the satisfaction that each one expects to have
derive from it.
The Stafford/Grant Approach to Delegation

Analyze the task:

Is it delegable?

Is it worth delegating it?

How should this task be performed in order to be successful?

What factors are involved?

2- Analyze the people:

Capacity: current

With training

Attitude

Workload (Do you have enough time?)

3- Determine the tracking system

4-Contribute a total communication: "Sell" the task
5- Shape the people (if necessary)
6- Start the performance

Supervise and evaluate

Be ready to collaborate

Give thanks and praise the good performer

Delegation is, in administrative law, the transfer from a superior entity or body to another of
lower level of the exercise of a competency, retaining the delegating party the ownership of it.

The delegation assumes, of course, that the delegating authority is empowered by law or the
regulation for carrying out the delegation. The act of delegation, however, is carried out by virtue of a
specific administrative act. For this same reason, delegation is essentially
revocable by the delegating authority.
It should be emphasized that the responsibility for the administrative decisions made or for
the actions carried out will fall on the delegating body. The delegating body retains its
hierarchical control duty over the delegate. Likewise, in the so-called delegation of
the responsibility remains with the delegating authority.

Naturally, while the delegation is in effect, the authority cannot take over the
exercise of delegated authority.

LESSON 19: THE ART OF DELEGATION (III).

The author Harold Koontz in his book 'Management: A Global Perspective' provides us with the
next steps to effectively delegate authority:

· The determination of the expected outcomes for a position.

You must clearly establish what you expect from your subordinate when delegating a task or a position.
specific. When a person knows what is expected of them, they will always give their best effort.
in achieving that result.

· The assignment of tasks to that position.

For the subordinate to succeed, it is necessary for you to assign them the necessary tasks to
that can carry out all the activities required by the project. This is very important, since the
Task assignment must align with the job position and the assigned project.

· The delegation of authority for the fulfillment of such tasks.

It is impossible for a person to undertake any project or activity if they do not have enough
authority to perform it. Also, when delegating authority, make it known through various
means, so that in the company they realize who has authority over certain matters
project.

· The responsibility of the person in the position regarding compliance with the
tasks.
The authority you delegate must be accompanied by the appropriate responsibility (A=R), so that
a way for the person to feel on their shoulders that they carry the responsibility of compliance
of the assigned tasks, and that any deviation in achieving them must
to provide explanations to their superiors.

PERSONAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

Harold Koontz proposes the following personal attitudes that we must take into account when
time to delegate authority:

· Receptivity

It consists of allowing other people to put their ideas into practice, being able to both accept
willingly the ideas of others, and also to collaborate with them, to congratulate them for their
initiative and inventiveness.

· Willingness to yield

It refers to giving your subordinates the freedom to make decisions. Many of us

We have the bad habit of continuing to make decisions after having delegated, which
Time and attention remain for much more significant decision-making.

· Willingness to allow others to make mistakes

Koontzlo explains as follows: "no responsible manager would allow that a

subordinate made a mistake that could harm the company or their position in it
subordinate, the persistent supervision of subordinates to ensure that they never commit
errors make true delegation of authority impossible, it must be allowed to the
subordinates who commit them and their cost should be considered an investment in their development
personal

To minimize the risk of making mistakes, there are some important suggestions: provide
early advice, detailed explanation of policies and objectives, posing questions
guides, among others.
· Willingness to trust subordinates

When you delegate authority, you must have full conviction that the person to whom it is being delegated
delegating will do his job well, he will put all his effort into doing the work well, and you
you must place your trust in each and every one of them.

· Willingness to establish and apply broad controls

It is necessary to have control systems that provide feedback on the development of

the various activities that have been delegated, this in order to take corrective actions when
it is necessary.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FACILITATE SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION:

The author Koontz makes the following suggestions so that every delegation you make has
success

· Define assignments and delegate authority in light of the expected results, grant
sufficient authority to allow for the achievement of the assigned goals.

· Select each person according to the work to be done.

· Keep communication lines open. Decentralization should not lead to

isolation, the delegation depends on the situation.

· Establish the appropriate controls.

· Reward effective delegation and successful assumption of authority.