We continue the conversation on delegating authority as a key strategy for growing an organization. A central principle in looking at this topic is affirming the axiom of multiplication.
We consciously select the word “axiom” because we observe in the laws of organic science that multiplication is the norm for healthy organisms: cells multiply, plants multiply, animals multiply – and in the natural order of human beings, people multiply.
Multiplication is the growth-pattern that we observe in living science.
Therefore, the goal of delegation is not simply to add scale, it is to multiply effectiveness and increase the core capacity of the enterprise to produce the intended deliverables. With this end in mind, the strategy is to delegate to people who can also multiply their own efforts; to choose people to whom we delegate that are capable of reproducing their efforts through others. Simply stated, savvy leaders will delegate to those people who can also learn to delegate.
Here are several tips we have picked up from leaders through the years:
1. Delegate early – begin early on in the life of the organization to think and act in terms of growth.
2. Delegate to reproducers – chose to delegate to those who can also delegate – or learn to delegate – to others.
3. Delegate tactically - delegate one thing at a time and observe how it is handled before assigning too much too quickly.
4. Follow up regularly – check in and coach where appropriate. Don’t give and go; abandoning the subordinate party to fend for themselves.
5. Delegate to busy people – everyone knows that busy people find ways to get things done – they must learn to delegate themselves in order to do so.
As previously stated, the goal of delegation is to grow the organization. Accordingly, the mindset of leaders who are effective at delegating is to reproduce the reproducers. After all, it is fundamentally easier to cooperate with the laws of nature – and in a healthy organization multiplication should occur continuously – as we have observed in the field of organic science.
Certainly there is more to the story … In the coming weeks we will look at the role of responsibility and authority when delegating, as well as several other aspects of this critical leadership skill.
Along the way, let us know what you have learned about delegating responsibility to others. What have you learned from your own experience?