Delegating and Empowering
Delegating and empowering is about ensuring work is allocated appropriately and equitably across the team, and empowering staff by locating decision making at the lowest appropriate level. It involves using a coaching style to support others to find their own solutions rather than giving all the answers.
Behavioural Statements
- I empower individuals by locating decision making at the lowest possible appropriate level.
- I delegate work appropriately to individuals and equitably across the team/ group.
- I support others to find their own solutions rather than giving all of the answers.
- I monitor staff members’ progress without interfering.
Example of on-the-job development activities (70)
Find an opportunity where you can allow someone else from your team to take the lead on a project or activity you normally would do and provide them with your full support. Write down how it went and how you felt not taking the lead.
Delegate a task or responsibility to someone with clear expectation and measures of success. Reflect on your delegation and seek feedback from them on your approach.
Be open to suggestions from your team about how to improve ways of doing things. Discuss the ideas as a team and encourage and support them to implement.
Show an interest in team member's work by asking questions and actively listening. Ask team members what level of support they need and adapt to the individual needs.
Example of social and peer learning activities (20)
Assess one of your peers approaches to empowerment, sharing experiences and knowledge. What are the things you need to avoid and what are good things you need to implement?
Begin a social media debate using internal MS Teams / Yammer etc or external LinkedIn etc asking what techniques people use to get the best results when delegating. Engage with the debate and your experience and gather new ways of doing things.
Become a Coach at the University to practise Coaching skills on a regular basis, helping people to move from discussion to action.
Get feedback from your team members about your ability to delegate and empower effectively. What are you going well and what do you need to improve?
Recommended Learning Resources (10)
The Delegation-Empowerment Continuum Model (L&D Toolkit)
Empowering people (LinkedIn)
How to Delegate (L&D Toolkit)
Successful Delegation (Mindtools)
How to Delegate Better with the 7 Delegation Levels (Youtube)
TLMS115 Successful Delegation (L&OD Course)
Improving Employee Performance: Coaching (LinkedIn)
Coaching Conversations Top Tips (L&D Toolkit)
TMS71 Coaching Sills for Managers (L&OD Course)
Creating a Climate of Trust and Confidence (L&D Toolkit)
Resisting micromanagement (LinkedIn)
Suggested reflection / discussion questions
What is your plan to make sure you support individuals when empowering them, so it does not feel like abdication, and hands off?
When was the last time you delegated and empowered individuals in your team? How did you communicate this to the team, so they knew why that person had been selected?
How do you hold back from telling, advising and offering solutions? Do you find this difficult or easy to do?
How often do you monitor progress with someone who is more than capability versus someone new to the task you have delegated?