1. Empowerment and Delegation

2. Learning Objectives Distinguish between delegation & empowerment
Utilize principles of effective delegation
Develop and execute plans to empower others
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

3. DELEGATION
The process of transferring the responsibility for a specific task to another member and empowering that individual to accomplish the task effectively.

4. Delegating Work
Refers to the assignment of a task - It is work focused
It is not turning over work that the manager dislikes
Empowerment is focused on the individual
Increases productivity and the organization’s ability to achieve goals
It has been said that the “lack of courage to delegate properly, and of knowledge of how to do it, is one of most general causes of failures in organizations.” Managers must learn how to delegate effectively.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

5. Benefits of Delegation
More involved,empowered workforce
Increased productivity and quality
Reduced costs
More innovation
Greater commitment

6. Formal structural dimensions: Control to Facilitating/support
Assignment of duties and responsibilities: Narrowly to broadly defined
Delegation of formal authority: Limited (centralization) to extensive (decentralization)
Constraints: Extensive (implementation within narrowly defined policies, procedures and rules) to limited (discretion in decision making and implementation)
Resource support: Rigidly limited to broadly available
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

7. Organizational culture: Custodial vs. entrepreneurial
Sustain status quo & avoid risk to press development & accept risk
Downward initiative process vs. upward initiative process
Theory X vs. theory Y axioms broadly defused in the organization
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

8. Advantages of Delegation
Increases manager’s discretionary time
Develops subordinate capabilities
Demonstrates confidence in delegates
Enhances commitment of delegates
Improves decision making
Increases efficiency
The old saying is “If you want something done right you should do it yourself,” does not apply in today’s organizations. There simply is not enough time for the manager to do everything themselves. This is a list of the advantages to delegation.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

9. Delegation Things to consider when delegating:
Qualifications of subordinate
Necessity of employee commitment
Expansion of employee capabilities
Evidence of shared values and perspectives
Sufficient time for delegation
The first step in delegating a work assignment is deciding what should be delegated and too whom. Prior to delegating a task these items should be considered by the manager.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

10. Barriers to Delegation
Lack of confidence
Fear
Vanity
Insecurity
Self -importance

11. Delegation Steps Decide what to delegate Decide who will do the task
Assign responsibility
Grant authority
Establish accountability

12. Principles of Effective Delegation
Deciding when:
Subordinates have
needed information
Commitment is crucial
Common values are shared
Sufficient time
is available
Subordinates
capabilities will
be expanded
Deciding to whom:
Involve no one
Consult with other
individuals, but decide
alone
Consult with a team
but decide alone
Let the team decide
Participate as a
member of the team
Deciding how:
Begin with the end
in mind
Delegate completely
Allow for participation
Match authority
with responsibility
Work within the
structure
Provide support
Focus accountability
on results
Delegate consistently
Avoid upward
delegation
Clarify consequences
This slide brings closure to the delegation topic by giving a pictorial representation of the concepts.
Effective outcomes of delegation:
Readily acceptable assignments
High morale and motivation
Organizational coordination
and efficiency
Increased problem solving abilities
More discretionary time for managers
Stronger interpersonal relationships
Successful task completion
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

13. Guidelines for Effective Delegation
Begin with the end in mind
Delegate broadly
Allow participation in delegation
Work toward parity between authority and responsibility
Work within the organizational structure
There are certain guidelines that should be followed when delegating task in the organization. The next two slides provides the list of those guidelines. Follow the hyper-links for explainations.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

14. Guidelines for Effective Delegation (cont.)
Provide adequate support
Focus accountability on results
Delegate consistently
Avoid upward delegation
Clarify consequences of tasks, especially rewards
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

15. Delegate broadly
Wait to be told what to do – least delegation & empowering
Ask what to do – delegation & empowerment is constrained
Recommend then take action – more delegation & empowerment over time and content
Act, then report immediately
Initiate action and report routinely – highest level of delegation & empowerment
There are five varying levels of delegation as it relates to empowerment. They are listed on this slide from the least empowerment possible to the highest level of empowerment. Management must consider the factors before delegating the assignment and then chose the appropriate level of delegation.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

16. Support Participation in Delegation
Subordinates are given an opportunity to negotiate the roles (degree of acceptance of delegation)
Subordinates should feel free to express ideas about the parameters of the work
Managers should be available for consultation during the assignment on an exceptions basis
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

17. Establish Parity Between Authority and Responsibility
Delegate the authority along with the responsibility
Ultimate accountability – cannot be delegated but can be shared with the manager
The amount of authority need for the job must be given to the employee so that they can feel there is a sense of self-determination in their work. They must also be held accountable for the work results that they produce.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

18. Work within the Organizational Structure
Delegate through subordinates not around them in the chain-of-command
Establish the norm of delegation to the lowest level of the organization
Everyone affected by the decision to delegate should be informed.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

19. Provide Adequate Support
Provide relevant information
Provide necessary resources to accomplish the task
Give credit for the task publicly
When errors are made, focus on the ;problem, not individuals.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

20. Focus Accountability on Results
Specify the goal not preferred methods
Do not micromanage
Support subordinates in the choice of their own methods to accomplish results
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

21. Delegate Consistently
Primary reason to assigning responsibilities & authority is to empower employees
Assign both the pleasant and unpleasant tasks
Delegate continuously, not just when overworked
It is important that managers delegate before they ever reach the crisis management stage because then the delegation appears to be a way of work for the manager. The manager should also give both pleasant and unpleasant jobs away because this helps employees see the good and the bad of life rather than just one side of the work.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

22. Choose the right people
Knowledgeable
Motivated
Able

23. Communicate Describe tasks/expected results
Agree on standards and timetables
Identify training needs
Identify resources
Prepare a report timetable
Specify authority

24. Avoid Upward Delegation
Occurs when the subordinate asks for help
Manager says “Let me think about it; I’ll get back to you later.”
Manager now has to follow up with the employee
Manager signals upward delegation is OK
Oncken and Wass (1974) wrote an article called “The Care and Feeding of Monkeys.” In this article they point out that managers often times unknowingly take assignments from their subordinates. Questions come up and the manager says things like “I’ll think about.” The monkey has jumped from the subordinate to the manager. It is important that the manager remember that they have delegated the prime accountability. They should ask a question like “what do you think we should do?” This leaves the monkey square on the back of the employee and the manager free to use his time for other things.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

25. Empowerment—A psychological perspective
Empowerment enables other people to act: it leaves them feeling strong, capable, and committed
“Get work done through other people”
Broad participation and accountability
Involvement in decision making
Flexible response
This slide defines empowerment. It is important that the students see that this is an investment into the stakeholders of the organization. It involves them and truly is a transference of power.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

26. Five Core Dimensions of Empowerment
Self-efficacy
Self-determination
Personal consequences
Meaningfulness
Trust
These are the five core dimensions of empowerment, follow the links for more information.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

27. Buy-in of supervision & operating personnel: Limited to extensive
Self efficacy: Limited to Extensive
Self determination: Limited to Extensive
Personal control: Limited to Extensive
Meaningfulness: Limited to Extensive
Trust in management: Limited to Extensive
Growth orientation: Limited to Extensive
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

28. Self-Efficacy A sense of personal competence
Belief that they have the ability to perform the task
Belief that they are capable of putting forth the effort
Belief that no outside obstacles will prevent them from accomplishing the task
Empowered people have a sense of self-efficacy, which is a personal sense of competence. They feel that they are not only competent but that they can also perform adequately. There is a sense of personal mastery and a belief that they can learn and grow to meet challenges. The last for items are the requirements for self-efficacy to exsist.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

29. Self-determination A sense of personal choice
Choices about the methods used to accomplish a task
Choices about the effort to be expended
Choices about the pace of the work
Choices about the time frame
Research has defined this as: “To be self determined means to experience a sense of choice in initiating and regulating one’s own actions.” In empowerment it usually covers the areas listed.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

30. Personal consequences
Sense of having impact
Feeling of active control – brings the environment into alignment with wishes
Feeling of passive control – whishes are brought into alignment with the environment
Small losses of personal control can be harmful physically and emotionally. Examples are depression, stress, anxiety, low morale, loss of productivity, burnout, and increased death rate. It is important for individuals to feel as if they have some control over their outcome.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

31. Meaningfulness Sense of value in the activity
Value the purpose or goals of the activity
It ‘counts’ in the individual’s value system
Creates a sense of purpose, passion, or mission
This is not the same as personal benefit
Individuals who engage in work that they feel is meaningful are more committed to it and more involved with it. Individuals have higher concentration and are more persistent in pursuing desired goals. They are also more innovative, upwardly influential and personally effective when compared to others with low work meaningfulness.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

32. Trust Sense of security
Feeling that they will be treated fairly and equitably
Encourages the development of relationships
Allows people to act in a confident and straightforward manner
“Trusting environments allow individuals to unfold and flourish”. Having a feeling that the behavior of others is consistent and reliable, that information can be held in confidence, and that promises will be kept all are a pert of developing a sense of empowerment in peopole.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

33. Relationship Between Dimensions and Prescriptions for Empowerment
Self-Efficacy (competence)
Vision and Values
Personal Mastery Experiences
Self-Determination
(choice)
Model
Provide Support
Personal Consequence
(impact)
Emotional Arousal
Meaningfulness (value)
Provide Information
Provide Resources
Trust (security)
Connect to Outcomes
Create Confidence 33
Copyright © 2002, Prentice Hall
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

34. Leadership processes: Passive to Active
Vision & values: Defuse to clearly defined
Personal mastery experiences: Limited to incrementally scaled (small wins)
Modeling: Limited ideal models vs. broad modeling of desired behavior
Support: Limited to extensive (both psychologically & institutionally)
Emotional arousal: Passive to active (systematically addressed)
Information: Limited (need to know) to extensive (broad accessibility)
Resources: Constrained and rigid to broadly available & flexible
Connection to outcomes: Limited feedback to broad scale feedback on consequences
Confidence: Limited generation to broad generation
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

35. Behavioral Guidelines
Articulate a clear vision and goals for others
Foster personal mastery experiences
Successfully model the behaviors you want others to achieve
Provide needed support to other people
Arouse positive emotions among others
Provide information needed by others to accomplish their work
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

36. Begin with the end in mind
Clearly articulate the desired results
Explain why the task is important
Point out the personal benefits
Connection to the organization mission
In order to use the theory of empowerment management must remember to delegate meaningful work to the employee. These are some thoughts on how to accomplish that goal.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

37. Articulate a Clear Vision and Goals
Specific
Measurable
Aligned
Realistic/Reachable
Time-bound
Part of inspiring employees to commit to the organization is tied to the communication of SMART goals. This acronym is laid out on the slide above
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

38. Supportive steps
Provide resources needed for others to accomplish their work
Connect others’ work to outcomes and effects
Create confidence among others
Follow the delegation model
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

39. Create confidence Reliability – consistent, dependable, and stable
Fairness – standards are clear and enforced consistently
Caring – show concern for the workers
Openness – no harmful secrets exist
Competence
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall
Return

40. Clarify Consequences of Tasks Especially Rewards
Subordinates are usually more motivated if the consequences and rewards are clearly identified.
Return
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

41. Dynamics of empowerment
Structure (degree of delegation & resource support
Development of personnel at each level (ability, experience & education
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

42. Relationships: Static to dynamic
Over time, the interdependence between empowerment and ability/experience/education may support a continuous expansion of the interrelationship, or a contraction.
These relationships may move to an equilibrium over time (less and less influence each cycle),
Or continuous expansion of influence
Result: Implosion (deteriorating performance), or explosion (an exponential improvement of performance).
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

43. Interdependence of empowerment process
The degree that the dynamics of empowerment creates an increasing higher level performance turns on
Structure, development of personnel and buy-in of personnel at all levels.
If there is a lack of buy-in at any level, this potentially brings the process to a halt.
If performance doesn’t improve over time, the experiment in empowerment is likely to be abandoned.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

44. Simultaneous Adjustments
The empowerment process requires a simultaneous adjustment
Between higher and middle level management and staff groups and lower management & operating groups.
Management & staff groups must shift from a control- directing focus to a supportive- facilitating focus.
Lower level management & operating groups must move from an implementing within formal constraints focus to exercising decision discretion
Accept the associated responsibility for success or failure.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

45. One time or episodic reengineering
Simpler to understand and achieve than a sustained reengineering and continuous dynamic process of empowerment.
In a static approach, the level of empowerment is shaped by management judgments of the ability and experience of the lower level personnel
The level of lower level buy-in on the process
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

46. Where low levels of empowerment exist
The judgments are likely to be that lower level personnel have neither the ability, experience nor orientation to accept broader empowerment.
Initial efforts at empowerment are likely to support this perspective
A transition period is required for employees to test out the integrity of management
And to explore how they are to utilize the expanded scope for decisions.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

47. Dynamics of empowerment
Both the process and end points are unstructured.
As greater empowerment occurs, is accepted, and personnel develop to meet the new opportunities and demands, this supports further empowerment processes.
This requires a continuous shift in the roles of management and staff groups as they relax controls, and shift to a supportive, facilitative role.
It requires on the part of lower level personnel
Continuous growth and development to deal with the expanded opportunities and discretion
Acceptance of responsibilities for performance.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

48. Frictions in the empowerment process
Managers that retain a theory X assumptions about personnel,
Or have difficulty shifting from control to supportive roles
Operating personnel that are unable to deal with the unstructured environment of continuous redefinition of roles and responsibilities inhibit the empowerment process.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall

49. Personnel turnover
Some degree of personnel turnover is likely to be associated with empowerment.
These who cannot deal with the demands of empowerment drop out of the system
Either by quitting, transferring or are terminated.
New employees can be selected who are a better fit and socialized in the process.
Copyright (c) Prentice Hall