Surely, you have heard about How important it is to Delegate.
However… How come managers are so reluctant to do it?
- Isn’t that good?
Well… The thing is: Some Managers use Delegation as a way to Lead their Projects.
- Usually, only the best Managers do this.
That is called the Delegative Management.
But… It is not an easy thing to do.
We’ll now explain you Why:
Characteristics of Delegative Management
The Manager knows the Capabilities of his employees.
- He/She won’t Delegate something to a person who is not capable.
- He must know perfectly what to delegate, and to whom.
The Manager knows what Motivates his employees.
- Some employees are highly motivated when given autonomy, while others aren’t.
- Not everybody wants freedom.
The Manager Coordinates all the work done by his employees.
- Delegating implies being aware of the progress made.
- The Manager must ensure that all the pieces fit together.
The Manager respects the work done by his employees.
- This is much harder than it seems.
- When it comes to managing, it’s very tempting to poke your nose into everything.
Believe us: Delegating is not as simple as it seems.
- You have to pick the right employee.
- Other employees feel envy.
- You usually delegate on somebody that doesn’t have your authority.
- Keeping track of the work is not easy
- etc.
Plus, it’s something all employees accuse their Managers of not doing…
But… When they are promoted, they do not either.
Now let’s see some examples of how this Management Style is used:
Examples of Delegative Management
Companies that give Individualized Treatment to their Clients.
- Consulting Firms, Lawyers, Dentists, etc.
- The Manager has no choice but to delegate, if the Business grows.
In Projects with many Departments involved.
- When it would be impossible for a single Manager to be in everything.
- Managers assign their best employees to represent their Department.
The European Union.
- Brussels is the one who sets the Red Lines…
- But the different Nations are responsible for implementing those policies.
The European Union example sums up the first 2 examples very well:
- It serves different “Clients” (French, Spanish or German citizens).
- Policies must be adapted to different countries.
- There are many Departments involved (local authorities, City councils, etc).
- It would be impossible for Brussels to implement all the policies.
Pros and Cons of an Delegative Management
Pros:
- It motivates proactive employees.
- It allows the Manager to work more and better.
- The Team becomes more autonomous.
Cons:
- It is difficult to carry out.
- It can cause grievances among employees.
- It does not work for all Situations.
