Time Frame:
65-90
minutes / Theme: Delegation
FACILITATOR’S NOTESare italicized / Suggested Techniques / Questions/Materials
Objectives:
Participants will:
  • Examine and name principles of delegation
  • Analyze what aspects of delegation seem most important and why.

5 min. / Ice breaker:
Here you (the facilitator) draw a picture of a stick man. Keep it hidden from the participants until later. Make certain everyone has something to write on. Explain you are going to have them draw something by following verbal directions. They cannot ask questions. You will only repeat directions 2x so they need to listen carefully.
Instruct participants as follows:
  1. Draw a small circle near the top of the page.
  2. Now draw a vertical line from the circle to the middle of the page.
  3. Now draw 2 lines from the circle angled down toward the middle of the page.
  4. Now draw 2 lines separating from the single vertical line each of which angles down toward the bottom of the page.
  5. At the end of the angled lines stemming from the circle, draw five small lines.
  6. At the end of the angled lines stemming from the vertical line, draw an oval at the base of each line.
  7. Compare: note importance of clear instructions
/ Group activity / 1 side – clean Drawing paper
Flip Chart
Marker
5 min. / Opening Prayer: Mark 6: 7-13
Read or invite someone to read the passage aloud. Ask a reader ahead of time to give reader time to prepare. / Bible or attached handout
Overview of the Theme:
Briefly state what you’ll be talking about:
Today we will examine principles, procedures, and guidelines concerning delegation.
5 min. / Review of Participant’s Objectives and Expectations:
Review your objectives for this formation and invite participants to share any expectations or questions they may have about the theme. / Brainstorm
5 min. / Setting the Scene:
Delegation is one aspect of functional accompaniment. It is a collaborative process of assigning a particular task to another.
Have someone read this passage from Community and Growth:
“A community is like an orchestra: each instrument is beautiful when it plays alone, but when they all play together, each given its own weight in turn, the result is even more beautiful. A community is like a garden full of flowers, shrubs and trees. Each helps to give life to the other. Together, they bear witness to the beauty of God, creator and gardener-extraordinary.” p. 251 / Quote by Jean Vanier Community & Growth
15 min. / Conduct a brainstorm with the question: What are the components of delegation?
  • Goal setting – What needs to be accomplished? by when?
  • Communication-Stating expectations clearly at the outset – check for understanding immediately and throughout the process
  • Motivation – how does the project fit into the whole? Use positive reinforcement throughout. Mistakes are OK – as long as someone doesn’t physically die.
  • Empowerment – Be clear about the level of authority the person has to accomplish the job. Share appropriate authority.
  • Supervision – check in periodically to assess progress, determine if assistance is needed, provide feedback
  • Evaluation – were objectives met? How did person handle job – attitudinally as well as professionally? Is participant willing to participate in delegation of authority – why – why not?
Give the second handout to participants. Cover the points to consider when delegating. Have people read each of the six points and ask for discussion.
Six Points: Clarity; feedback; define lines of authority (empowerment) ; supervision; resources; attitudes. / Brainstorm
After the brainstorm, give Handout #1
Read handout silently.
Discuss highlights. / Handout #1 (attached):
Spotlight on delegation: “What is Delegation?”
Handout #2 (attached): Points to Be Considered When Delegating
15-20 min. / What to Delegate?
Have the group read this section and discus in pairs. After 5 minutes have people return to the large group and share any insights or questions.
Ask group to provide other examples of “core managerial responsibilities” not easily delegated.
Ask participants: How would you determine an assistant/head of house’s readiness for accepting a delegated task? / Read from Spotlight on Delegation – section on: “What to Delegate”
Share in pairs
Large Group Discussion / Read from Handout #1 Spotlight on Delegation (attached)
15-20 min. / Role play: offer an example of delegation and have the group critique the role play:
Give the person chosen to delegate (the Community leader in the scenario) 5 minutes to prepare.
10 minute role play
Ask group to analyze the delegation process.
What was missing?
Distribute and read the provided section from Spotlight on Delegation on “How to Delegate” aloud. Ask the group: Any questions? / Role play:
Need 2 characters: 1. the Community Leader/
2. Assistant Community Leader
Discussion
Read aloud from Handout #1 Spotlight on Delegation, section on “How to Delegate” / Handout #3: Delegation Scenario for Role Play
Handout #1: Spotlight on Delegation
5-10 min. / Discuss the question:
Does the person who is delegated to have any responsibilities in the situation? (examples of possible answers from the group or provided by facilitator listed below):
  • Begin the task in a timely fashion
  • Create a timeline for accomplishment of the task.
  • Be sure all materials are gathered for completion prior to deadline.
  • Seek help if/when needed
  • Check-in periodically to reassure the “delegator” that progress is being made & that “delegatee” is on the right track
  • Others?
/ Large group discussion
5 min. / Evaluation:
Have each participant share:
  • What have I learned?
  • What am I grateful for?
/ Go around the circle or shout out.

Prayer Reading: Mark 6: 7-13

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

HANDOUT #1

SPOTLIGHT ON DELEGATION (MANAGER’S LEGAL BULLETIN)

WHY DELEGATE

“If you want something done right, you’d better do it yourself.” If you have successfully used this philosophy to work your way up the career ladder, you might find it counterintuitive to let go of the reins now and start delegating tasks to your subordinates. But there are several compelling reasons why you should start delegating:

  • Productivity. You’ll have more time and energy to devote to more important tasks.
  • Your career. Your superiors expect you to be able to delegate strategically, and will take your ability to do so into consideration when assessing your performance or potential for promotion.
  • Employee development. You’ll help employees to grow and develop. Bonus: This, in turn, will positively affect retention rates.
  • Cost efficiency. Work should be done by those best able to do it at the least expense to the organization.

WHAT IS DELEGATION

Delegation is not the act of pushing your own responsibilities onto others. Delegation is the process of assigning a particular task to a particular employee, accompanied by the employee’s commitment to work on and complete the task, in an agreed-upon timeframe with agreed-upon standards. There are six main components involved in effective delegation.

  1. Goal-setting. Determine the expectations and goals of delegation. Tell the employee what must be achieved by when.
  2. Communication. While stating your expectations at the outset is key, it’s just as important to continue communicating with the employee on an ongoing basis. Check in with them regularly, and encourage them to come to you with questions at any time.
  3. Motivation. Start by putting the task into context, explaining its importance in the overall scheme of things. Then, support the employee by applauding their efforts along the way, particularly if the delegated task is difficult, boring, or involves many steps.
  4. Empowerment. Give the employee the authority and the tools to get the job done.
  5. Supervision. Because you maintain ultimate responsibility for the delegated task, you must learn the delicate art of supervising the employee without taking over the task. One way to do this is to establish review dates for routine progress checks and feedback.
  6. Evaluation. Determine whether the agreed-upon goals and expectations were met

WHAT TO DELEGATE

Clearly, not every task is appropriate for delegation.

Don’t delegate tasks that are part of your core managerial responsibilities, e.g., performance appraisals, discipline, confidential matters, hiring and firing decisions, and policy enforcement.

Don’t delegate tasks that your superiors have personally asked you to handle.

Don’t delegate tasks that the employee is clearly not ready or able to handle.

The tasks you should consider delegating include:

  • Tasks you’ve already mastered and want to move beyond.
  • Tasks you performed before being promoted to management.
  • Tasks that don’t have immediate or difficult deadlines.
  • Tasks that a particular employee has shown an interest in or an aptitude for.
  • Tasks that employees are better skilled to perform than you. (There is no shame in admitting that your employees are more skilled in certain areas than you; in fact, employees will respect you more for doing so!)
  • Tasks that would help prepare employees for advancement.

HOW TO DELEGATE

Delegating soundings easy enough, but managers often find themselves stumped on how to begin. Here are some useful hints to get you started.

  • Explain to the employee why you are delegating a task to them. Absent an explanation, they might see the extra work as a punishment, when in reality it’s anything but.
  • Identify resources they can and should use.
  • Discuss potential obstacles or challenges. Ask the employee how they would overcome the challenges. Share your own ideas, if needed.

Decide what degree of delegation is appropriate, and make sure the employee understands the parameters.

  1. Delegation of parts of a task, with no-decision making involved. Example: “Here’s a task. Let me know when you are done, and I’ll give you the next step.”
  2. Delegation that gives the employee a small degree of control and ownership. Example: “Research this and decide what needs to be done. Then, check back with me and, if I agree with you plan, we’ll discuss how you’ll proceed.”
  3. Delegation that gives the employee more freedom. Example: “This is what I need done. It is up to you how to tackle it, just let me know when it is complete.”

Rule of thumb: Start at Level 1 for most employees on most tasks. As employees prove themselves successful in completing delegated tasks, move up a level.

FEAR OF DELEGATING

The fear of relinquishing control is a common obstacle between managers and effective delegation. Here’s how to conquer that fear.

  • Focus on results instead of methods. Let employees know what you expect in terms of the end result, but let them accomplish it whatever way they see fit. Keep an open mind: Just because something’s not done the way you envisioned, doesn’t automatically make it wrong or interior. An attitude of “Do it my way or else!” will choke off the initiative that is needed for successful delegation.
  • Use an “eyes open, hands off” philosophy. Trust employees to accomplish the delegated task, but don’t write them off and forget about them. Require employees to keep you in the loop by giving regular progress reports. Be ready to offer suggestions if they come to you for help
  • Trust your hiring process. If you feel confident that you hired a competent staff, then you need to trust their ability to handle new responsibilities.

HANDOUT #2

POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN DELEGATING

1. Clarity /
  • Think, process, reflect on the person, task and expectations
  • What is being asked is clear
  • Does the person accept the task/mission
  • There is a timeline
  • The necessary information is given
  • Delegation fits with the persons authority
  • Know what is negotiable
  • Be clear on accountability and measurability
  • There is the ability to fail
  • There is confidence in the person
  • The person has the competence to do the task

2. Feedback /
  • Solicit feedback
  • Listen

3. Define lines of authority /
  • Accountability
  • Corresponding authority to go with responsibility

4. Supervision /
  • Accountability
  • Regular scheduled meetings
  • Is person still available
  • PEP: Praise/Evaluate/Praise

5. Resources /
  • Financial – Budget
  • Human
  • Awareness of gifts

6. Attitudes /
  • Delegate tasks that I would do
  • Delegate tasks that are not my gift
  • Accept that there are many ways to do things
  • Maturity to let go
  • Ability to fail
  • Conscious of process & quality results

HANDOUT #3

Delegation Scenario for Role Play:

You are the Community Leader:

There are three core people in your community who will soon not be able to attend their regular day activity due to aging issues.

You meet with the Assistant Director and ask her to find a solution to the lack of day activity. Using the principles of delegation, assign appropriate tasks to the Assistant Director.

Assumptions:

You have a positive relationship with the Assistant Director

She knows the core members well.