How Managers Accomplish Domination over Colleagues while Delegating Responsibility - Essay Example

Managers and delegation Name; Institution affiliation; Date; Managers and delegation Power structure of an organization Most companies and organizations have a clear organization design and structure that shows where each person reports to and the process of delegating duties. Delegation is a process whereby managers from the higher rank assign duties to their subordinates, tasks they could have performed themselves. The higher one moves up in the ladder, the more power they are presumed to have. Sometimes in organization, the people who have power and who perform most of the functions that keep the organist ion going are people in the finance department, design staff and other important departments of an organization[Dav96]. Hierarchical power structure in an organization shows how power flows from up to the lowest rank in the organization. Duties and tasks are able to be delegated from managers to the subordinate staff depending on which department they are in. in this case, by power we mean the ability of a person give orders and for the subordinate staff to follow them. Many companies and organization’s in the world use the hierarchical power structure because operations run smoothly because of separation of powers between individuals and departments[Bri131]. Process of delegation Business organizations are in existence for the sole reason of performing jobs and tasks that are too complex, large or fast changing for any other individual to perform by them. Most managers and administrators in these organization’s still try to perform this functions by themselves instead of delegating. By assigning and delegating duties, managers make sure that things are done effectively and efficiently. However, most people in managerial positions feel hard to delegate duties because they think that the tasks will not be performed exactly how they want to be performed. What most managers do not realize is that delegating work and task to other members of staff plays an integral part of making sure that the overall operations of the organization are run smoothly[Bri131]. How managers accomplish domination over colleagues while delegating responsibility. For managers to accomplish domination over colleagues while delegating their tasks, they must base their delegation on “what and when” to delegate basis. When a manager decides to delegate some of his tasks, they must ensure that they decide what is it that they want delegated and when they want delegated. This ensures that there is a smooth transition and that all parties are ready for the challenge. A manager should be able to know when to ask his/ her subordinates to perform certain functions and make important decisions. The work becomes far easier when the manager decides which tasks are to be delegated[Bri13]. Delegation fails when the manager tries to delegate tasks which are inappropriate or work that should be done by them, even if they have the best plans and support in place. For example if a manager wants to make a speech presentation and they ask a member of the subordinate staff to help, chances are that they will definitely fail because the works used are not those of the manager. In relation to this, a manager must be able to determine which functions to delegate and which are to be done by him. Tasks which require his personal touch or input should remain within his control while delegating the lesser important tasks. By doing this way, a manager is able to exercise dominance over his colleagues because he will always get his job done on time, efficiently and effectively[Bri13]. Points to consider when delegating Time: this is the most important point for a manager to consider when they want to be effective in the process of delegating their tasks to their subordinate. As the saying goes, it takes money to make money and also it takes time to save time. When a manager decides to delegate some of his functions, they must be ready to offer sufficient instructions and support to the subordinate staff where necessary. This way, the manager will make sure that all tasks are performed according to his instructions and preferences. Another important thing is that the manager also has to give enough time for him in order to make corrections where necessary. Lacking enough time to do all these activities will result to the activities delegated failing hence the manager must find that time[Ann09]. Another point to be considered is the availability of some to perform the task that the manager wants to be delegated. The manager must be able to find people with the necessary skills and will power to perform the desired functions. The best tasks top delegate are the ones which subordinate staff have expertise in and can perform them well without any complications. If the tasks to be delegated are closely related to the daily operations of the organization, then the subordinate staff will be able to perform them better and faster than the manager could do. Criticality of the work to be delegated is also considered when trying to delegate a task to be subordinate members of the staffs. Critically means that the job is an important part of a project or the organization in general hence if it fails it will mean that the project or goals of the organization will be affected significantly. High profile jobs are best when performed by the manager himself, rather than delegating it to subordinate members of staff. Some of the tasks that are considered to be critical in an organization include coming up with strategies, staffing and recruitment of new members of a task force, handling private and confidential information as well as handling the relationship between the organization and sensitive customers[Hug13]. What to do in order to ensure domination over colleagues when delegating Knowing how to delegate A positive result of the process of delegation actually depends on how managers handle the process of delegation that is how they hand over the task to the subordinate staff. Every manager who delegates their work wants to get a job that is well done and giving him/ her less time trying to supervise or correct it. Communication is an important aspect of making sure that effective delegation process takes place in the long run[Mar94]. A manager needs to clarify what they expect from the delegated activity so that the subordinate staff can know what is expected of them. They should let the employees know what they are needed in order to make sure that they perform a good job. In order for the manager to make sure that the employees perform a good job, it is advisable that they explain the task and how it affects or relates to overall organizational goals. The manager also needs to establish check points in order to make sure that each stage of the process is completed accordingly. Establishing checkpoints ensures that the manager is able to notice minor mistakes and correct them before they pile and affect the operations of the organization[Vee09]. Delegating the results and not the process ensures that the employees understand what is expected of them. The manager should allow the person who is undertaking the task time to figure out how best to achieve the results. A manager should not try to micro manage a person because that will only push them away from achieving their full potential. Another way of ensuring that the process of delegation goes on smoothly, the manager should ensure that they define their roles clearly. It is important to ensure that there is no duplication of roles between the manager and the subordinate staff[Dar06]. The main challenge encountered in the process of delegating is how to delegate the right things and not delegating the wrong things. For example a person who has grown their start up from a one person small business to a big company may find it hard to delegate his tasks and duties because he/ she is used to performing them alone without depending on any other person. This is a challenge that many managers find hard to overcome. The best way to overcome this challenge is making sure that the manager trusts whoever they want to delegate their tasks to. Without trust, the manager will find it very hard to delegate because he will always feel that the people who he should delegate his work to do not measure up to the task[Vee09]. The manager should also give clear instructions on what they want done and after how long do they want the results. The main point here is for the manager to strike a balance between explaining too much that the listener is confused and explaining too little that the listener does not understand what is expected of them. The manager is supposed to think of the subordinate staff as a person who is still learning and try to explain in great detail and concisely. For the manager to get good results, they must also set a task completion date and a follow up procedure that will seek to find ways of making sure that the results were accomplished through the right manner[And01]. Conclusion Managers accomplish domination over their colleagues when delegating their responsibilities by ensuring that they follow a number of steps. The first step in the process of delegation is making sure that they pick the right candidate for the delegation process. This means that the member of staff who is given the staff should be the one can deliver and has the expertise of performing the task at hand. As a manager, also ensure that you trust the person whom you want to delegate your tasks to. This will create a good feeling in them and ensure that they work hard to deliver the desired results. Giving clear and concise instructions is also another way of ensuring that the desired results are achieved because the subordinate members of staff are aware of what is expected of them. Lastly, when delegating, the manager should ensure that they delegate the task, responsibility and the authority as well[Dav10]. References Dav96: , (Whetten, Cameron, & Woods, 1996), Bri131: , (Tracy, Delegation , 2013), Bri13: , (Tracy, Delegation , 2013), Ann09: , (Marriner-Tomey, 2009), Hug13: , (Kim, Maurer, & Mitchell, 2013), Mar94: , (Karsten, 1994), Vee09: , (Havinal, 2009), Dar06: , (Hawkins, 2006), And01: , (Forrest, 2001), Dav10: , (Dugdale & Lyne, 2010), Read More