Action Assignment 4-2 Assigning Work Effectively Critical Thinking Example

1. The most important idea I learned in Part Seven was the wide range of considerations that can govern whether work is being assigned effectively or not. Certainly before reading the section, consideration of the time availability of the employee and the employee’s skills were primary considerations when determining how to delegate work. However, a reminder about using work tasks as development opportunities, the importance of determining clearly in advance of the request what was to be done, and the usefulness of some type of record of the request were not as obvious to me before reading this section. The importance of precisely how work is delegated, that is, the language that is used, the logical sequence of instructions, and not being too overbearing or forceful in the request discussion all were additional very useful suggestions and things to keep in mind when delegating tasks.
A further important area that is particularly applicable to my business subject area is making sure that the right language is used in making the request. Working in information technology, the number of acronyms and specialized terms often outnumber the use of standard terminology. It is very important to remember the background of the person who will be taking on the task and spell out the acronyms or specialized terms whenever needed. It is much better to over explain, and let the employee reassure concerning their complete understanding rather than to provide instructions that it might be too difficult for the employee and force them to interrupt your instructions and ask for more information. It is enormously discouraging to a new or inexperienced employee to be unable to even understand the initial request, let alone complete the project effectively, so anything that the leader can do to help increase the chances of success should be seriously considered and used whenever possible.
2. Although the first set of suggestions discussed above are very good to keep in mind during the delegation process, it is the last three suggestions that I would like to directly apply to my role as the director in a small information technology (IT) department. First, I need to positively and affirmatively take responsibility for the work that I ask my group to perform. I have been guilty in the past of passing the blame to authorities outside the IT department, likely in a misguided attempt to deflect unhappiness about the work or the deadline. Combined with not being apologetic or minimizing the task during assignment, I believe that these two small changes will significantly increase the respect from my reports as well as increase their confidence in my leadership. It will be interesting to see if there is any positive impact on their commitment to the work and meeting the deadlines with these changes in approach.
Further, I want to commit to allowing enough time when delegating to let the employee ask questions or express opinions about project. In essence, it is useful for both parties to have time for questions and comments related to the project. I want to take input from my group and incorporate them into the processes, as they are the ones with front-line experience that can provide suggestions for better service to the organization as a whole. As an IT department is a service organization within a larger one, giving that extra time for input could provide important positive benefits to the group’s reputation within the business. Finally, time needs to be made for follow-up as far too often the opportunity to learn from the outcome of a project is overlooked. Attention to taking responsibility, giving the employee a chance for input at the time of assignment, and meticulous follow-up will allow both my abilities as delegator and the outcome of various projects within the group be more successful.