How to steer clear of delegation traps
1. It's a fact
For those who must make command decisions in time of war and in peace, in business and in leisure, the Allied leader at Normandy, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower set the standard of responsibility in World War 2.
In his own handwriting, he carried in the pocket of his battle tunic on D-Day, 6 June 1944, a sheet of paper, to be released in the event of the Allied forces being driven back into the sea on that momentous day. It read as follows:
"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the airforce, and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone."
To his generals and his troops, Eisenhower had delegated responsibility for the landings. In failure, however, Eisenhower was prepared to shoulder the responsibility.
So too, in business, where delegation can also be hazardous, since those to whom you delegate respons-ibility can also experience set-backs, even failure.
Delegation does not mean you can abdicate final responsiblity. Eisenhower didn’t.
2. Quotable quote
"When it comes to delegation, stop focusing on the unknown - on what disasters might occur. Instead, form a clear idea of what has to be done and how you can facilitate success.
For any project you will have three known goals. You want the job done (1) well, (2) on time, and (3) under your control.
Your job is to direct, guide, and oversee your employees’ efforts - not do their work. You can make sure the job is done well by giving them clear, explicit instructions, sufficient time and resources, and motivation. And you keep your team on schedule by setting up many short-term deadlines that you personally supervise."
3. Here's an idea
ASAP - one of the most useless acronyms in time management. Think about it. What is your first reaction when someone asks you to do something ‘as soon as possible’? Exactly. You drop it into your in-tray, and you’ll get around to it - sometime.
If you really want something done, ask for it to be done by a certain date and time. …
