Delegation of powers is the most important means of expanding the managerial capabilities of a manager and improving the quality of management; When the scope of managerial responsibilities of a manager expands, delegation becomes one of the fundamental measures that allows the manager to cope with the sharply increased volume of work.

Answer yes or no.

1. Do you continue to work after the end of the working day?

2. Do you work longer hours than your employees?

3. Do you often do work for others that they could easily handle themselves?

4. Are you able to find a subordinate or colleague who would help you in times of need?

5. Does your colleague, subordinate (or your boss) know your tasks and scope of work well enough to replace you if you leave your job?

6. Do you have enough time to plan your tasks and activities?

7. Does your desk get cluttered when you return from a business trip?

8. Are you working on other matters and problems from the area of responsibility that was assigned to you before your last promotion?

9. Do you often have to put off an important task in order to complete others?

10. Do you often have to rush to meet important deadlines?

11. Do you waste time on routine work that others can do?

12. Do you dictate most of your memos, correspondence and reports?

13. Do you often get asked about tasks not completed by your subordinates?

14. Do you have enough time for social and representative activities?

15. Do you strive to be in the know everywhere and have information about everything?

16. Is it worth more effort for you to stick to your priority to-do list?

Keys and results of the test “Delegation of Authority”

Count the number of affirmative answers.

Up to 3 – you delegate authority perfectly!

4–7 – you still have reserves for improvement and delegation.

8 or more - it looks like delegation is a serious problem for you, which you should give priority to solving.

Test “Can you give orders?” (7 min.)

The proposed test is aimed at determining preliminary and current self-assessment of the effectiveness of using organizational and administrative management methods.

Mark in the table the positions that are most significant from your point of view. To do this, in the first column next to each position, put an importance rating (B) on a five-point system. After assessing the importance of each recommendation, put a mark in the second column on a five-point system, reflecting your implementation (AND) of this recommendation.

Key to the test “Can you give orders?”

Up to 60 points - your orders are ineffective;

61-85 points – the effectiveness of your orders is satisfactory;

86-92 points - you give the right orders;

93-100 points - your orders are competent, correct and highly effective.

Slide show and trainer's comments 5 minutes

Video “Why delegate authority” (8.15 min)

Divide the group into subgroups using the puzzle principle.

Give out colored balls. Exercise:

Use a marker to write credentials on them:

Red – powers that cannot be delegated

Blue - powers can be delegated, but the final result should be controlled and the actions of subordinates should be coordinated

Yellow - powers are transferred forever, coordination and control are not required.

5 minutes to prepare

Discuss the groups' opinions (7 minutes for discussion)

Food for thought (SLIDES) “Success through someone else’s hands: effective delegation of authority”

Video “What to delegate” (7.41 min)

Game “Delegation of Authority” (5 min.)

A volunteer is invited, he is given a container and 3 types of objects of different sizes: for example, an apple, nuts and raisins, and offer to put them in a container, for example, a cup

Procedure. The trainer asks the participant to place the objects in the container. The participant must do the following: first put an apple in the cup, then nuts and lastly raisins, and everything fits perfectly.

If the items are placed in a different order, then they will not fit; it turns out that it is very difficult to push apples into a container filled with nuts and raisins: there is not enough space for them. The analogy is this: you, as a manager, must first complete the “large” (important) tasks; routine and less significant ones must be redistributed. But if the manager takes on routine matters, then important things will no longer fit into his routine, and the effectiveness of management decreases.

ABC analysis helps to categorize matters into important and unimportant. In accordance with it, tasks are divided into three categories:

A - the most important tasks and powers: 15% of all tasks bring 65% of the total contribution, responsibility for them lies with the manager.

B - important tasks: 20% of the total number of tasks bring 20% contribution, can be delegated to deputies.

C - less important tasks: 65% of the total number of tasks bring 15% of the total value of the result. These tasks can be delegated to a lower level.

Case study (5 minutes for preparation + 10 for discussion): divide the group into subgroups according to the principle of division into seasons in which the participants’ birthdays are located. Give the groups a task: the Presidential elections have passed and the selected candidate should form a government, delegating powers to manage various areas. It is required to visualize the structure of government and the principle of separation of powers.

Game "Tower of Babel" (3 minutes)

■ Combining all considered planning levels;

■ developing the ability to effectively plan the work of a group, develop strategy, tactics and operational management;

■ developing teamwork skills, delegation and distribution of responsibilities;

■ reflection of the behavior style of everyone on the team;

■ identifying task or process orientation and leadership style.

Procedure. Participants are divided into 3 groups, each team has the same set of materials (100 A4 sheets each). Teams spend 3 minutes planning the tower building activity, then spend 5 minutes building it. The team that builds the tallest tower and that tower lasts longer than the others will be crowned the winner. Towers are measured with a measuring tape. Strategies for building and communicating within teams are then discussed.

Instructions. “Now, for about 10 minutes, we will play a game called Tower of Babel. The legend about the Tower of Babel has been known to us since childhood: “People decided to build a city and a tower as high as heaven. But God decided to thwart their plan by mixing the languages of the city planners so that they ceased to understand each other. The grandiose construction stopped, the brick city and the tower turned into ruins and the builders were scattered throughout the whole earth."

In this game you will have the opportunity to build your own “towers of Babel”, which must stand and not fall apart. To do this, you will need to combine all the studied levels of planning and apply them to work in a team, as well as find a common language in order to act as a single team and win.

So, now you need to divide into three teams of the same number of people. It is better to unite according to the principle of “who you interacted with least.” I give each team 100 sheets. This is the material from which you will build the tower. You are given 3 minutes to plan your work. At this time, you can work with sheets, but after planning is completed, all blanks will return to their original state, that is, they will be expanded. Then within 5 minutes you will build your towers.

The winner will be the team whose tower will be the tallest and will stand longer than others at the end of construction.”

Group discussion. The coach asks each team questions:

■ General impressions of the game? Are you satisfied with the result?

■ What tower construction strategy did you choose?

■ Was it possible to implement it?

■ What levels of planning were involved? How did they manifest themselves?

■ How were the roles distributed on the team?

■ Was there a leader, how was he nominated? What was he doing?

■ What mistakes were made that would be changed in a replay? (Then the strategy of the winning team and its differences from other teams is analyzed: what allowed them to become first.)

■ What can you transfer from the game to your work?

The trainer draws the participants’ attention to the fact that in the future they can transfer the acquired skills to planning the work of their department. In addition, changes are difficult to implement alone; this requires a team and the ability to effectively distribute roles in a team and work for a common result.

Warm-up: game “The sea is agitated once...”

Discussion of specific situations:

Current page: 9 (book has 19 pages total) [available reading passage: 5 pages]

8.3. Test “Ability to make decisions taking into account previous mistakes”

It is often said that people learn from their mistakes. But no less often they say the expression “I stepped on the same rake...”. This test will show how much you can take into account previous mistakes and make the right decisions.

The questions in this test should be answered “yes”, “no”, “I don’t know”.

1. Have you ever made a mistake in life, the results of which you felt for months or years?

2. Could this mistake have been avoided?

3. Do you sometimes insist on your own opinion if you are not 100% sure of its correctness?

4. Have you told anyone closest to you about your biggest life mistake?

5. Do you think that at a certain age a person’s character cannot change?

6. If someone gives you a little grief, can you quickly forget about it?

7. Do you sometimes consider yourself a failure?

8. Do you consider yourself a person with a great sense of humor?

9. If you could change the most important events that took place in the past, would you build your life differently?

10. When making daily personal decisions, are you guided more by reason than by emotions?

11. Do you find it difficult to make small decisions on issues that life poses every day?

12. Have you used advice or help from people outside your immediate family when making vital decisions?

13. Do you often return in your memories to moments that were unpleasant for you?

14. Do you like your character?

15. Have you ever asked someone for forgiveness, although you did not consider yourself guilty?

Key to the test task “Ability to make decisions taking into account previous mistakes”

For each answer “yes” to questions: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and “no” to questions: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, you receive 10 points. For each “I don’t know” answer – 5 points.

From 100 to 150 points– You have an exceptional ability to make life difficult for yourself. Perhaps you are already at the stage when you evaluate your own mistakes as successes. You are on your way to making another life mistake! Immediately find yourself an adviser before you make another wrong decision, with which neither you nor those around you will again be happy.

From 50 to 99 points– Perhaps what you call a great mistake that you once made in life is today connected with a different view of yourself and your past. Your caution is not always a guarantee of complete luck in life.

From 0 to 49 points– In the near future you are not in danger of making a life mistake. Naturally, the guarantee of this is you yourself. You have many of the traits that people with great abilities for good planning and foreseeing their own future possess. It seems that you completely feel like the creator of your life.

Practical task

1. Based on the test results, develop an individual decision-making model.

2. Carry out a self-test using the following questions:

What is meant by “management decision”?

What is the importance of making management decisions?

What are the key points in decision making?

How is the decision-making algorithm modeled?

8.4. SituationsSituation 1

The sales and advertising departments cannot reach a consensus on an issue that requires joint efforts. They come to the manager and describe the current situation to him. A long discussion begins with convincing arguments on both sides. Soon all participants in the conversation understand that the ultimate goal is not to develop an optimal solution, but to defend their own point of view. What should a manager do in this situation to make the right decision?

Situation 2

You, being the head of the sales department, independently, without the knowledge of your manager and without consulting with your colleagues, gave an order to ship your products to a completely new consumer, since you were offered a favorable price for the products. But your new partner turned out to be an “invisible company”, and you did not receive payment for the products. Your manager is angry because the company has suffered huge losses. What is your mistake and how will you structure your explanation with your manager?

Situation 3

You, as a manager, are offered a solution to an important problem in a shorter period of time, and even as a result, making a profit, but the implementation of this solution itself is very risky. What will you do?

Situation 4

You are the head of a company. You need to go on a long business trip. Two deputies remain in your place. The first one works well in a team, but avoids achieving the goal, the other always achieves the set goal, but has difficulty delegating authority. There is a conflict between them. Which of them should be appointed senior?

Situation 5

You entrust an important task to what you consider to be a competent employee. But suddenly you learn about a person who is more competent in this matter and can perform this task much better. What will you do in this situation?

Situation 6

You suddenly find out that the employee to whom you entrusted the development of an important project is simultaneously working on the same issue in another company. What decision will you make in this situation?

Topic 9. Delegation of authority

Delegation should be considered one of the most important problems in management and, at the same time, one of the most difficult and relevant. In a general sense, delegation can be understood as transferring a task from the manager’s sphere of action to a subordinate.

Delegation of authority is a method of expanding the managerial capabilities of a manager by transferring part of his rights and responsibilities to subordinates.

One of the most important advantages of delegation is that, by providing subordinates with a certain independence in their work, it makes it possible to find out whether they have the inclinations necessary for management activities, and if they do, then delegation will allow them to be developed.

9.1. Test “How do you cope with delegation?”

If you don’t have time to do your work, if you constantly don’t have enough time, then you need to transfer part of your current work to your subordinates. The test below will help you find out the answers to these questions.

Answer the questions “yes” or “no”.

1. Do you continue to work after the end of the working day?

2. Do you work longer than your employees?

3. Do you often do work for others that you could easily do without your participation?

4. Are you able to find, if necessary, a subordinate or colleague who would help you?

5. Does your subordinate know your tasks and scope of activity well enough to replace you if you go on a long business trip?

6. Do you have enough time to plan?

7. Is your desk cluttered when you return from a business trip?

8. Are you still dealing with matters or problems from the area of responsibility that was assigned to you before your promotion?

9. Are you often forced to put off an important task in order to complete others?

10. Do you often have to strain to meet deadlines?

11. Do you often dictate most of your memos, correspondence and reports to your secretary?

12. Do you waste time on routine work that others can do?

13. Do you often get contacted about tasks not completed by your subordinates?

14. Do you have enough time for public and representative work?

15. Do you strive to be aware of everything and have information about everything?

16. Is it worth a lot of effort for you to stick to the list of sequence of priority tasks?

Key to the test task “How do you deal with delegation?”

Count the number of “yes” and “no” answers. If:

0 – 3 “yes” answers– You delegate well;

4 – 7 “yes” answers– Do you have reserves for delegation;

8 And more “yes” answers – It sounds like delegation is a serious problem for you. You should give priority to solving this problem.

9.2. Test “Can you make rational decisions?”

For work to be productive and effective, every manager must take into account the opinions of his colleagues. A good specialist can come to the rescue in a timely manner and not interfere in extraneous matters unless the situation requires it.

1. You go abroad on vacation, but do not speak any foreign language. Your actions:

a) hire a translator;

b) don’t let go of the dictionary and try to explain yourself;

c) do not leave the hotel.

2. The boss went on a business trip, leaving the phone number of the hotel where he was staying. Your actions:

a) constantly call him to coordinate various issues;

b) call to find out how you got there;

c) ask him when he will return.

3. Your flight is delayed and passengers are forced to sit on the plane. Your actions:

a) get to know the surrounding passengers and tell jokes;

b) resign yourself to the situation, but ask for an additional lunch as compensation for moral damage;

c) take a flight attendant hostage.

4. While hiking with a friend, you fall behind the main group. Your actions:

a) take command, if not you, then who will find the way;

b) you give one to study the map, send the other to study the area: one head is good, but two are better;

c) don’t worry, you won’t get lost.

5. First of all, ask your neighbor in the dorm:

a) name only;

b) do you have mutual friends?

c) don’t ask anything: if you need anything, he’ll do it himself.

6. You were sick for a couple of days and things got a bit sluggish. When you return to work, you:

a) without raising your head, you sort things out;

b) ask colleagues to help;

c) don’t panic: everyone knows that you were sick.

7. You have decided to buy an apartment. Your actions:

a) call the real estate agency;

b) buy a newspaper ad;

c) decide how the housewarming party will go.

8. A friend is having a party, he invited you. Your actions:

a) are interested in how you can help;

b) simply welcome this idea;

c) buy everything you need, it won’t be superfluous.

Key to the test task “Can you make rational decisions?”

Table 28

From 8 to 14 points– You really are taking on too much. Be careful, this may have a bad effect on your health. Learn to make decisions correctly and distribute authority.

From 15 to 17 points– Your ability to use your strengths and weaknesses is worthy of emulation! You are a great team player and understand that common work brings greater results than personal victory. You are attentive to others and are not afraid of being let down; you choose those you can rely on. When necessary, you step forward; when necessary, you give way. Don't overpromise, balanced. All this only strengthens your position as a leader.

From 18 to 24 points– Don't be too passive in making decisions. This certainly will not have a beneficial effect on the results of your activities!

9.3. Test “Do you need to use delegation methods?”

To determine your suitability for independent work, we suggest answering questions. Answers are scored as follows: “yes” – 1; “I find it difficult to answer” – 2; “no” – 3.

1. Do you have enough professional knowledge in your chosen field of activity?

2. Are you able to distribute work among subordinates, leaving the most important for yourself?

3. Will you be able to solve a variety of management problems (forming a portfolio of orders, forecasting the financial condition and profitability of individual products, applying a rational wage system, etc.)?

4. Do you trust yourself completely or will you resort to the help of specialists on certain issues?

5. Will you control the execution of orders?

6. Will you trust your subordinates to choose the method of doing the work?

7. Do you consider spending money on advanced training to be a profitable investment?

8. Do you have a fairly clear idea of your activities for the next year or two?

9. If you have to share income with your friend and partner, are you sure that you will maintain friendly relations with him?

10. Will you make a firm promise if you are not confident that you will be able to fulfill it?

11. Do your relatives and friends agree with your intentions to engage in entrepreneurial or managerial activities?

12. Are you able to allocate time during a heavy workload to think about long-term issues?

13. Do you have the necessary funds to open a new business or start a new type of activity?

14. Do you take notes on what you are planning to do?

15. Do you plan your working day?

16. Will you celebrate the achievements of your subordinates or will you try not to notice them?

17. Are you able to hide your irritation?

18. Have you made inquiries about cases of similar proceedings?

19. Can you make a profit that is greater than that of your competitors?

20. When choosing the legal form of your company, did you study the tax system?

21. Do you take into account that business partners may not always be sincere?

Key to the test task “Do you need to use delegation methods?”

Table 29

From 80 to 124 points– feel free to get down to business on your own;

From 40 to 80 points– Think again about whether your delegation skills are sufficiently developed.

From 40 points or less– It is better to get down to business with the appropriate assistants.

9.4. Test “Your style of delegation when working with documents”

Delegation is a very important part of a leader's job. But authority must be delegated correctly. This test task will help you determine how correctly you can delegate authority using the example of working with documents.

The test consists of 4 groups, each of which includes 3 questions. The answer “completely fair” is worth 3 points; for the answer “perhaps fair” - 2; for the answer “not really” – 1; for the answer “not at all” – 0 points. Calculate your points.

Group 1

1. When I have a lot of urgent work to do, I often put new papers aside.

2. When I’m not too busy with other things, I process most of the paperwork myself.

3. I personally sort through correspondence because no one else can handle it, and the sight of unread papers irritates me.

Group 2

1. I have to overcome internal resistance when I instruct a subordinate to prepare an important document.

2. Most of the documentation on less important issues is prepared by my subordinates.

3. I turn to others for help only when the possibility of work troubles becomes very real.

Group 3

1. It irritates me that I have to waste time on paperwork, and when I’m busy, the papers get pushed aside.

2. I do not consider myself obligated to respond to every piece of paper addressed to me.

3. I do not believe that the volume and nature of official correspondence reflects the success of my work and my position in the organization.

Group 4

1. When I'm faced with a crisis situation, I don't have enough time to read all the documents.

2. Only the thought of being fired can force me to finish writing my official report.

3. I always have more important things to do, so I put routine documentation aside.

Key to the test task “Your style of delegation when working with documents”

If you scored 7 or more points in group 1, then you are most likely a “super performer”, and therefore tend to do more paperwork yourself than necessary, underloading your subordinates. True, some of the top management like your constant employment, but the label of a “true servant” does not at all guarantee promotion and respect from colleagues and subordinates.

If you scored 7 or more points in group 2, then you are most likely a “decipherer”. Of course, delegation of responsibilities is one of the most important rules of modern management science, and it can make your work much easier (of course, if you delegate correctly). Of course, over time you will master the art of delegation, but it is better to shorten this process by studying literature on management issues.

If you scored 7 or more points in the 3rd group, This means that you have the characteristics of an “anti-bureaucrat” and you tend to ignore the importance of paperwork. Such habits can be costly if your organization has a high volume of paperwork and places a high value on it. Therefore, you should reconsider your attitude towards “paperwork” or look for a place in an organization where there is less paperwork.

If you scored 7 or more points in the 4th group, This means that there is too much of a “red tape” in you and you are doomed to constantly listen to reproaches from your superiors for the delay of various documents. Only a more differentiated approach to incoming documentation and a wider use of delegation can help you out.

Finally, if you scored 3 points or less in group 4, then you treat paperwork too zealously, forgetting that there are more important matters that require your personal presence.

Practical task

1. In order to develop skills in delegating authority, fill out the so-called register of instructions according to the given sample, in which it is necessary to enter specific tasks (in accordance with the ABC priority), deadlines and control results.

2. Based on the studied material “Delegation of Authority” and the material “Secretary of the Manager,” draw up a job description for the secretary of the head of a commercial organization in accordance with the following sections:

Department name;

Job title;

Educational requirements;

Work experience requirement;

List of functions performed;

Requirements for professional qualities;

Rights and obligations.

9.5. SituationsSituation 1

A subordinate came to you for a conversation, whom you instructed to monitor the implementation of an important decision. He claims that he does not have time to monitor the activities of other people at the same time as his current job, and demands that he be paid a bonus for this additional work. You know for sure that the main activity of this employee takes up less than half of his total working time. You:

a) agree with his arguments and pay the bonus;

b) give him several more people to help him and divide the bonus between them;

c) refuse him his request, citing as an argument that he did not deserve the bonus;

d) entrust his work to another employee.

Choose the most suitable solution from the above or suggest your own.

Situation 2

You have entrusted your subordinate, the foreman of a repair organization, with the responsibility for training young workers. To do this, you have granted him certain rights. Some time later, while passing by, you unwittingly become a witness to how he is working with a newcomer, and you discover that he is doing it completely wrong. What will you do?

Situation 3

There is an important matter that requires immediate attention. What would you do in this situation:

a) find the employee for whom this matter is of greatest importance and appoint him responsible for execution;

b) assign the task to a less busy employee?

Situation 4

You entrust a task to your subordinate, knowing that only he is able to complete it well. But suddenly you find out that he delegated the task to another person, and as a result, the task was not completed on time.

You call both of them into your office and say: ...

Situation 5

You have given an order to resolve the problem. Your subordinate did not comply with this order, but solved the problem using other means. You understand that his solution is better than yours.

What should you do in this situation?

Situation 6

Your immediate superior, bypassing you, gives an urgent task to your subordinate, who is already busy completing your important task. You and your boss consider your tasks urgent.

Choose the solution that suits you best:

a) without challenging the boss’s assignment, I will strictly adhere to the official chain of command and invite the subordinate to postpone the current work;

b) it all depends on how authoritative the boss is for me;

c) I will express to the subordinate my disagreement with the boss’s assignment, I will warn him that in future in such situations I will cancel tasks assigned to him without my consent;

d) in the interests of the business, I will offer the subordinate to complete the work begun.

For many novice managers, delegating authority to their subordinates becomes a serious challenge. The reason for this is the habit of managers to do the work themselves and the belief that no one else can cope with the task better than themselves. How to learn to delegate tasks correctly and choose performers? How should you behave in crisis situations? How to check yourself - are you giving instructions correctly? You will learn about this in our article today.

It's impossible to do everything on your own

Aspiring leaders need to accept this fact. After all, the success of a department or organization directly depends on the personal contribution to the common cause of each employee. Allow people to choose their own ways to solve the problem assigned to them. Resist the urge to jump in and finish what your employee started. Perhaps the task will not be completed as quickly as you would like, and you will have to wait an extra hour until your subordinate finishes it. But you will more than make up for this hour in the future, when people, having gained the necessary experience, will be able to effectively cope with similar tasks on their own.

At the very beginning of your leadership, try to learn more about your subordinates. Ask them to answer the question about what kind of work brings them the most satisfaction. Invite each of them to make a wish list of functional responsibilities that they would be interested in performing. Identify their talents, abilities and interests. Knowing this, you will not have to guess in the future who to give this or that assignment. You can effectively use this information to solve various problems, giving orders to the most motivated employees. Develop your subordinates by assigning them more and more complex and responsible tasks each time. This way you will gradually reduce the intensity of control and simplify the process of explanations and delegation.

Ability to give instructions

How quickly and efficiently your employees will complete the tasks assigned to them depends on how well you, as a manager, master the ability to give instructions. Novice managers often make mistakes in the delegation process; let’s look at the five most common ones.

1. Orders are given on the fly. To ensure that your instructions are heard and understood, you should not speak about them in a hurry and immediately leave. This leaves your employees confused, unsure of where to start and how to work on the task at hand. You must remember that most of them need additional time to comprehend and understand your instructions. If people are not given the opportunity to think about the manager’s order and ask clarifying questions, the likelihood of errors and delays in their work increases many times over. In addition, in such a situation, employees may feel a disdainful attitude towards themselves and a low degree of importance of the task at hand, which also will not increase their enthusiasm.

2. Improvisation. If you do not have a clear understanding of what exactly the employee should do, do not try to give instructions while simultaneously going through out loud various options for proposed solutions. Identify in advance all possible difficulties, clearly define the purpose and methods of completing the task. Everything should be extremely clear and understandable. Otherwise, your subordinates will wonder what exactly you meant. Misunderstandings always lead to problems when following instructions.

3. Multiple repetitions. The manager should not repeat his order many times. You may think that you are just focusing the attention of employees on the main points, while they will feel that they are being treated like small children, unable to understand the obvious state of affairs. State the order once and then ask the staff to talk through it again with you, or to tell you exactly how they will carry it out, to make sure you understand each other correctly. Remember that orders given in a condescending tone can turn the entire staff against you. In this case, people will spend more energy complaining about your communication style than understanding the essence of your words. Give orders with the belief that your subordinates are smart, capable, and can understand you perfectly.

4. Lack of dialogue. Experienced managers know that there is a category of people who find it difficult to admit that they do not understand something. Instead of admitting this, they silently nod their heads, actively demonstrating that everything is clear to them. Don't ignore such moments. Allow enough time for dialogue with the employee to make sure that he correctly understood your instructions, ask him clarifying questions, give the necessary advice, and evaluate his ability to successfully complete the assignment during the conversation.

5. Unclear deadlines. In rare cases, a manager, when giving an order, can afford to tell an employee: “Do this when it is convenient for you.” As a rule, each task has its own deadlines. Give the employee a specific completion date.

Keep in mind that in conditions of everyday workload, a formulation like: “This order must be completed within two months, starting today,” is perceived by people as a task distant in time, the solution of which, accordingly, can be postponed. It would be more correct to determine specific dates when the employee needs to start and finish work. You might say, “This work must be completed by November 1st. Today is September 5th. Please provide me with a schedule that will indicate the dates for the start of research, the preparation of reports, as well as the final work plan.” Monitor intermediate results and the overall course of actions of subordinates.

See the delegation process as an opportunity to connect more closely with your employees. Talk with them about the importance of the tasks, how to complete them and planned actions. Of course, this requires additional time, but all your efforts will pay off many times over in the future.

Choose performers carefully

One of the important aspects of effective leadership is choosing the right person. Novice managers are often convinced that the task they are assigned is so easy that anyone can handle it. Then completely random people are appointed to implement it. But each employee has his own strengths and weaknesses in his work. And it is important to be able to choose the best performer for each specific assignment.

There are two approaches to choosing - passive and active. Using a passive approach, you delegate the task to an employee who has the necessary knowledge, skills and similar experience in the past. The active approach involves choosing the most motivated person to complete a task, regardless of his previous experience, skills and knowledge. In this case, completing the assignment may require more time, more frequent monitoring of the performer’s actions, and additional consultations from the manager.

If we are talking about a complex and responsible task, it is better to delegate it to a “thinking” subordinate, that is, a person who is able to perceive the task comprehensively, understand the meaning of its implementation and how it will affect the rest of the company’s processes in the future. Such an employee will always be able to make the right, and, if necessary, an alternative decision and get the desired result.

After delegating a task, ask the subordinate how he plans to complete it, listen carefully to his suggestions regarding optimal solutions, welcome initiative and encourage the proposal of reasonable alternatives.

Crisis Management

Novice managers often hesitate to give orders to their subordinates for fear that their instructions will not be carried out. But this is a fact that must be accepted - some orders really are not carried out. The reason for this may be errors arising from misunderstandings between a manager and a subordinate, omission of important details in the work, or lack of resources. All this makes it impossible to complete the task in the proper form and on time.

In such a situation, some managers begin to correct all the shortcomings of their subordinates themselves. But this is not a reason to do everything yourself. First of all, it is necessary to figure out what exactly caused the breakdown in work - whether it was a careless explanation of the task or poor coordination. Or maybe subordinates did not have enough necessary skills, knowledge or authority to successfully implement it.

How the manager will cope with emerging difficulties will largely determine the attitude of employees to his further orders. If you show irritation, your subordinates will not dare to apply new, alternative approaches to solving a problem and will not take risks to improve existing results. They will begin to hide negative facts from you and pretend that everything is fine. And this can further complicate the situation. After all, it is always better to know about problems in advance, when corrective actions can still be taken.

If you respond intelligently, with restraint and calmly, you can convince employees that their miscalculations and mistakes cannot undermine your relationship and that even the most serious problems can be shared with you without fear. The following rules will help you act effectively in crisis situations:

Focus on finding solutions. Refrain from blaming anyone; focusing on the problem will make it even worse. Gather all the facts and make sure you understand the reasons for what happened. Even if you know that your employee did not cope with the task, do not express your disappointment too angrily or make hasty judgments. Focus on the question of how to get out of the situation, encouraging the subordinate to discuss and find possible solutions together.
Maintain your composure. Some leaders may take failure too painfully. Phrases like: “Why didn’t I do it myself?” or “I knew you couldn’t be trusted!” will mean that you are losing. Do not succumb to attacks of anger and self-flagellation - this will only complicate the situation. Even if your attempt at delegation fails, try to correct the situation.
Analyze. Give yourself a few days to calm down and put your thoughts in order after a failure. Then analyze it. Try to learn a useful lesson from the mistakes you made when delegating an assignment and the omissions of employees made in the process of its implementation. Do this objectively and impartially, carefully collecting all the facts necessary to determine the reasons for the failure. Discuss them with your subordinates, calmly explaining that your main goal is to analyze the problem and extract the necessary experience. Don't be upset if something goes wrong. The main thing is to take at least a few concrete steps to improve the situation.

The test below will help you determine how developed your ability to delegate tasks is, as well as draw the necessary conclusions and outline specific actions to improve the situation.

Test “Are you delegating tasks correctly?”

Give answers to each of the questions (“yes” or “no”). In the case of several “nested” questions, the answer “yes” is possible only if the answer to all “nested” questions is positive. Make the necessary notes directly on the test and write down all the ideas that arise on a separate blank sheet of paper. Take your time. Answer all questions. If you cannot answer a question and it is within your knowledge, answer “no.” Good luck!

Do you have a clear idea of what exactly you want to delegate? What should be the result? (Not really)
Do you set the goal specifically: what exactly should the subordinate do and what result should he achieve? Is this goal clear to the subordinate? Does he understand it in the same way as you? (Not really)
Is the goal (task) measurable? Will you be able to measure the achievement of the goal? Will you be able to measure progress toward your goal as you go? Will the employee be able to measure these results and progress themselves? (Not really)
Is this employee able to complete the task within the given time frame? Have all factors affecting its feasibility been taken into account? Has the employee's consent to complete the task been obtained? (Not really)
Is it clear to the employee how this task fits into the system of company plans and goals? How is it interconnected with other tasks and why is it performed? (Not really)
Are there clear deadlines for completing the task? Reporting/monitoring deadlines? (Not really)
Is the employee motivated to complete the task? Is this task important to him? (Not really)
Has the employee received all the resources required to complete the task? Have the necessary working conditions been created? (Not really)
Does the employee understand who else is involved in this task (who provides the “raw materials”, who controls, who can help, etc.)? If delegated to a group/team, is there one person responsible? Does the performer/performers have the knowledge, skills, abilities, abilities and authority necessary to perform? (Not really)
Does the employee understand the overall “big picture” of the company, not just his or her part of the job? (Not really)
Does anyone (including the performer himself) control the completion of the task and the achievement of the result? (Not really)
When assigning tasks, do you (at least partially) delegate appropriate positive and negative responsibility for results? (Not really)
Are the assigned tasks being accomplished? Are you satisfied with how they are being performed? (Not really)

For each “yes” answer, give yourself one point.

If you typed 1-7 points- It’s okay, this is the average norm.
8-9 points- a little higher than normal. However, reading this article will be useful to you.
10-11 points- much higher than normal, congratulations! Look for opportunities to further improve the situation!
12 points- look again at what you are missing so that next time you can come out with a clean sheet.
If you typed 13 points— you (as well as your subordinates) can only be envied!

Now, draw conclusions based on your answers to the test, since the most important part of working on it will be the awareness:

For each “no” answer, think through specific actions: what can and should be done in order to give a firm “yes” in response the next time you work on the test.
Set deadlines for completing these actions and achieving the “yes” goal.
Determine the performers and those responsible (since these actions are not implemented by themselves). Be sure to notify these performers and those responsible.
Determine the required resources and their sources.
Based on points 1-4, analyze the achievability of the planned goal. If necessary, adjust points 1-4.

Follow through, believe in yourself and be proud of your successes!

Prepared by UzJobs project specialists based on online media materials

Test "Can you give orders?"

The proposed test is aimed at determining preliminary and current self-assessment of the effectiveness of using organizational and administrative management methods.

Mark in the table the positions that are most significant from your point of view. To do this, in the first column next to each position, put an importance rating (B) on a five-point system. After assessing the importance of each recommendation, put a mark in the second column on a five-point scale reflecting your use (AND) of this recommendation.


1. The order must be objectively necessary.
2. An order should not be given unless there is complete confidence that it is real and can be carried out.
3. Before giving an order, the manager needs to talk with the subordinate, find out his attitude to the work.
4. The manager is obliged to provide the subordinate with conditions for the successful implementation of his orders.
5. When giving instructions, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the employee (qualification, gender, age, etc.).
6. The manager, by his orders, must encourage and develop the independence of the subordinate and his initiative.
7. It is better to give instructions in the form of a request, rather than an order.
8. The order should be given in a friendly manner, but in a firm and confident tone.
9. The manager must remember the culture of his behavior and the sense of personal dignity of his subordinate.
10. A manager needs to teach subordinates more than order, and find time to train subordinates.
11. It is necessary to interest the subordinate in the social significance of the task, the direct practical benefit for the team and for him personally.
12. To successfully carry out an order, you need to create an atmosphere of competition, arouse the desire of the subordinate to distinguish himself, and demonstrate his abilities.
13. It is necessary to emphasize the special role of the performer, to show how highly the manager values his work.
14. You should not give the contractor several instructions at the same time.
15. The manager must make sure that the subordinate understands his tasks.
16. The subordinate must know the exact deadline for completing the work and the form of its presentation.
17. The manager, without hesitation, is obliged to demand that his subordinate perform the assigned work.
18. A manager can help a subordinate complete a task, but should not perform it for him.
19. Unauthorized assignments to a subordinate should not be allowed, bypassing his immediate supervisor.
20. Placing responsibility for carrying out an assignment on a subordinate does not remove it from the manager.
Total points:

If you have efficient, well-trained employees, and you do not involve them in joint decision-making, you are wasting your own time.
(Management postulate)

Each person has his own goals and objectives. Their solution is sometimes no less important for him than for the head of state - foreign policy issues, and for a scientist - the fundamental problems of the universe. It would seem that the range of these problems is so wide that it is simply impossible to find anything in common between them. And yet it has been established that the nature of all problems, when viewed from the perspective of human thinking, is the same, and therefore the art of decision-making can be learned. First of all, a manager must master this art, since decision-making is the main result of his activities.

For more effective implementation of decisions, it is necessary to apply delegation of authority. This is a method of expanding the managerial capabilities of a manager by transferring part of his rights and responsibilities to subordinates. With delegation, preparation and adoption of some decisions occur at lower levels of the management hierarchy, i.e. where the overwhelming majority of the information necessary for this is concentrated, where the experience and skills of narrowly specialized professionals are concentrated, where a decision can be prepared and made in a relatively short time.

Topic 8. Decision Making

Management is associated with the development and adoption of management decisions. Making the right decision in a timely manner is the most important task of a leader.

Decisions are made in each management cycle, at all stages of performing certain functions. The decision-making task comes down to coordinating the goals of individual performers and coordinating their interactions. The solution should be considered the result of analysis, forecasting, optimization, economic justification and selection of the best from a variety of options.

8.1. Test “Is it easy to convince you?”

The management process is concerned with continuous development and decision making. Decisions are made in each management cycle, at all its stages and during the performance of each function. The proposed test will help determine whether you are suitable for work in management, how ready you are to make decisions and be responsible for their results.

Answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions:

1. Will you be able to easily adapt at your old place of work to new rules, a new style that is significantly different from what you are used to?

2. Do you quickly adapt to a new team?

3. Are you able to express your opinion publicly, even if you know that it contradicts the point of view of senior management?

4. If you are offered a position with a higher salary in another institution, would you agree to move to a new job without hesitation?

5. Are you inclined to deny your guilt in a mistake and look for a suitable excuse for the given case?

6. Do you usually explain the reason for your refusal to do something with true motives, without covering them up with various “mitigating” and camouflaging reasons and circumstances?

7. Will you be able to change your previous views on a particular issue as a result of a serious discussion?

8. You you read someone’s work (out of duty or at request), its idea is correct, but you don’t like the style of presentation - you would write differently. Will you edit the text and persistently suggest changing it in accordance with your opinion?

9. If you see something in a store that you really like, will you buy it, even if this thing is not so necessary?

10. Can you change your decision under the influence of the persuasion of a charming person?

11. Do you plan your vacation in advance?

12. Do you always keep your promises?

Use the table to determine the number of points you have scored.

Table 27

Key to the test task “Is it easy to convince you?”

If the amount is:

9 points– You are very indecisive. Constantly and for any reason, you weigh the pros and cons for a long time and painfully. If you manage to shift the decision-making onto the shoulders of someone else, you feel a huge relief. Before deciding to take any step, you consult for a long time and often make a half-hearted decision. At meetings and conferences you prefer to remain silent, although on the sidelines you gain courage and eloquence. It's difficult to work with you. And even if you have knowledge, erudition, and experience, such a character trait as indecisiveness greatly reduces your “utility coefficient.” It is difficult to rely on you, since you can let us down. Of course, changing character is not easy, but it is possible;

from 10 to 18 points– You make decisions carefully, but do not give in to serious problems that need to be solved right now. You usually hesitate when you have enough time to make a decision. That’s when you begin to be overcome by various doubts, and the temptation appears to “settle everything”, “coordinate” it with your superiors, although this question is at your level. Rely more on your experience, it will tell you how to solve the case correctly. In the end, consult with one of your colleagues, your subordinates;

from 19 to 28 points– You are quite determined. Your logic, the consistency with which you approach the study of a problem, and most importantly, experience, help you solve problems quickly and, for the most part, correctly. Relying on yourself, you do not ignore the advice of others, although you do not resort to them very often. You defend the decisions you make to the end, but if they are revealed to be wrong, do not stubbornly continue to defend the “honor of the uniform.” All this is good. But try to always remain objective. Do not consider it shameful to consult on issues in which you are not competent enough;

29 points and above– The concept of “indecision” is unknown to you. You consider yourself competent in all aspects of your activity and do not consider it necessary to find out someone else's opinion. You understand unity of command as the right to make individual decisions; critical remarks about them cause you irritation, which you sometimes do not even try to hide. You are impressed when you are called a decisive and strong-willed person, although will is not at all what was said about you above. In order to establish this opinion among others, it happens that you reject the reasonable proposals of others. You experience mistakes painfully, deeply believing that someone else is to blame for them, but not you. Believing in the infallibility of one's opinions is a serious flaw. This character trait, this method of work suppresses the initiative of subordinates, their desire for independent action, and fosters indecision in them. All this causes serious damage to the psychological climate of the team and interferes with work. You urgently need to change your work style.

8.2. Test "Decision Making"

The assessment of the correctness of the decision made by the manager is not only economic indicators, but also the behavior of employees when they achieve production goals, the measure of their activity, initiative, and collectivism.

This test will help you assess how determined you are and what type of people you should have on your team.

From the proposed answer options (A, B, C, D, E, F), choose one.

1. What, in your opinion, motivates a person in life above all?

A – curiosity;

B – desires;

B – necessity.

2. Why do you think people move from one job to another?

D – they are fired;

D – they leave because of a higher salary;

E – they prefer another job.

3. When you have troubles:

A – Do you put off their decision until the last minute?

B – do you need to analyze how guilty you are?

Q – You don’t even want to think about what happened?

4. You did not have time to do some work on time and:

E - declare your failure even before it becomes known;

D – you wait with fear when you are asked about the results;

D – thoroughly prepare for the explanation.

5. When you achieve a goal, you receive news about it:

B – with a feeling of relief?

B – with strong positive emotions?

A - in different ways depending on the goal, but not so violently?

D – avoid situations that require risk?

E – get rid of this by turning to the help of a psychologist?

D - meet people of a different type who do not suffer from shyness?

7. What will you do in a conflict situation:

B – will I talk to the person with whom I came into conflict?

Shall I write him a letter?

Q – will I try to resolve the conflict through a mediator?

8. What kind of fear arises in you when you make a mistake:

D – fear that a mistake might change the order to which you are accustomed?

D – fear of punishment?

E – fear of losing prestige?

9. When you are talking to someone, then:

Do you look away from time to time?

B – look directly into the eyes of your interlocutor?

D – do you look away even when people speak to you?

10. When you are having an important conversation, then:

E – the tone of the conversation usually remains calm?

D – Do you keep inserting words that don’t mean anything?

Key to the test task “Decision Making”

If almost all of your answers consist of options A and D, then you are not a particularly decisive (in decision-making) person. But you cannot be called indecisive. You don’t always act actively and quickly enough, but only because you think it’s not worth it. You like brave people. But often you justify those who are indecisive, believing that their actions are the result not of fear, but of prudence and caution.

If you chose mainly options B, E, then you are certainly a decisive (in decision-making) person. You too often neglect things that you consider small and insignificant. But, despite this, you are valued as an independent and interesting person. If you also have a sense of responsibility, then you are often assigned difficult tasks, but in this case there should be other types of people in your group who would balance your too much activity. Don't you still need to think better about the decisions you make?

If your answers relate to options C, D, then you are afraid not only to make decisions, but even to think about them, fearing the approaching events. Your psychological state cannot be called stable or prosperous. Often you are more likely to expect criticism of your actions than praise.

8.3. Test “Ability to make decisions taking into account previous mistakes”