The three basic elements of delegation (responsibility, authority and accountability) are discussed with regard to effective management.
Major guidelines for effective delegation are noted including
(1) Securing a mutual commitment to responsibilities involved
(2) Establishing goals and checkpoints;
(3) Giving appropriate authority to the delegate; and
(4) Avoiding by-passing the delegate.
Key words: Administration; Pharmacy, institution, hospital
Delegation is one of those management techniques that receive consistent lip service but somewhat less than consistent application. As with most techniques of management, delegation, to be effective, must be carefully, constantly and thoughtfully applied. Frequently, managers limit their potential and attempt to perform to many functions themselves. The "I'd rather do it myself" syndrome is more pronounced in the new manager. This individual explains that by the time he shows or tells someone else how o does a job, he could have more easily done it himself. This explanation (or excuse) may very well be true for the first time, but if the task is properly delegated the manager's intimate involvement ends.
Basic Elements of Delegation
There are three basic elements of delegation: responsibility authority and
accountability. Two of these elements (responsibility and authority) are inseparably
related. A surefire method of doing a poor job of delegation is not to delegate
the appropriate authority to discharge the responsibilities of the task. Responsibility
is a key element of delegation but it is not delegated at all. The fact that
the pharmacy director has delegated the task of narcotics control to a subordinate
does not diminish the responsibility of that director for narcotics control.
The acceptance of responsibility on the part of the delegate must be a clearly
defined and understood part of the delegation process. Clear acceptance of responsibility
is necessary for employee development and organizational growth. The well-motivated
employee actively seeks new responsibilities and opportunities that go along
with those responsibilities. It is vital in this element of delegation to carefully
define the responsibilities involved, their importance, and their relationship
to other jobs. A good understanding of the scope of responsibly can forestall
problems at a later date.
Responsibility
Acceptance of responsibility by professionals (e.g. pharmacists) is a slightly different problem than with nonprofessionals. Responsibility for one's own actions and the actions of supportive nonprofessionals is part of the basic definition and orientation of the pharmacist. The problem of the hospital pharmacy administrator is to allow the pharmacist to recognize and accept the administrative responsibilities necessary to accomplish departmental and institutional objectives.
Authority
The second element of delegation is authority, and this is the factor that is in fact delegated. Management literature has stressed over the past several years the necessity for delegation of appropriate authority. "Never give responsibility without the authority necessary to discharge the responsibility," has been the theme of the advice in relation to the delegation process. This fact, even though well known by now, needs to be expanded in a couple of facets. One consideration with the delegation of authority is that only "token" authority fails to provide the called and growth potential that the developing individual needs. Robert Townsend in Up the Organization talks about authority delegation:
Many give lip service, but few delegate authorities in important matters. And that means all they delegate is dog work. A real leader does as much dog-work for his people as he can: He can do it, or see a way to so it without it, or see a way to do without it, ten times as fast. And he delegates as many important matters as he can because that creates a climate in which people grow.
Delegation is an important means toward the attainment of the goals of an organization.
This is rue if for no other reason than to assure that decisions are made as
low as possible in the organization. Decisions made at the lowest level will
then usually be made by the people most competent to make them. Townsend again
points out:" The charge of the Light Brigade was order by and officer who
wasn't there looking at the territory."
In delegation of authority, the right to retract that authority resides with
the delegator. But thus right must be very carefully and judiciously used. In
fact, retraction of delegated authority is essentially an terminal act. The
delegator and the delegate are both hard pressed to return to the original relationship
after to return to the original relationship after delegated authority is removed.
A dangerous procedure, similar to retraction, is short-circuiting and bypassing
a delegate. The supervisor who is constantly (or even occasionally) giving directions
and orders to people who work under a subordinate is courting disasters
By-passing a subordinate supervisor has a universally bad effect on everybody
concerned and solves very little. If a delegate is not discharging his delegated
authority, if a delegate is not discharging his delegated authority, the remedy
lies with that individual, not around that individual.
Accountability
After delegation of authority and acceptance of responsibility, the third element
of delegation comes in focus. This element is accountability and the control
process. Mention of these terms sometimes conjures up the wrong kinds of images.
Control should not mean that a supervisor is exercising power over other people
but rather is using this process as a tool to ensure that delegated authority
and accepted responsibility are being applied toward the organization's programs
and objectives.
There are a number of ways in which controls may be exercised in order to ensure
successful task completion. Budgeting is a control process and when properly
used can be an effective control mechanism. Delegation of authority to commit
and use resources can be most often measured as a function of budget variance.
Another control mechanism is to establish specific, short-term goals. When such
goals are mutually established and agreed upon, both the manager and the delegate
should be able to progress toward the achievement of those goals.
Depending upon the needs of the individuals and the complexity of the situation,
varying numbers of checkpoints may be established to ensure continuing accountability.
Exercise of control is most often a delicate balance between how must is enough
and how much is too much. The best use of control is to emphasize the positive
kinds of control (i.e. goal setting) and to use only when absolutely necessary
the negative kinds (i.e. disciplinary measures).
Conclusion
A compilation of some major guidelines to effective delegation is tabulated
below:
1. Discuss frankly and completely the responsibilities involved
2. Secure a mutual commitment to these responsibilities
3. Be certain that appropriate authority is in the hands of the delegate
4. Prior to and during a process insist upon adherence to agreed goals and checkpoints
5. Don't be short-circuit or by-pass the delegate/
6. Delegate important as well as routine projects and tasks
7. Ones done, don't meddle in the process
8. Delegate both the interesting and the mundane