A common problem at work, remarked upon with strained humor, is that we are given responsibility for our assigned tasks without the necessary authority to make them happen. As we have seen, the idea that responsibility can be given away is a misrepresentation of what actually occurs.
But while the distinction should make a difference to the manager, it makes no practical one to the person who is “delegated” this problem. And so, it points to an interesting irony.
Managers have a tendency to delegate what they must keep, and to retain what they ought to delegate. This is a perfectly understandable, human instinct; that’s why we see so much of it, and why we hear this complaint so often.
It addresses the correct issue: as natural as the instinct is, it is not productive behavior for a manager to, essentially, evade responsibility while retaining an iron grip on authority. Rather, it is counter-productive. It inhibits effective progress on tasks, lowers morale, weakens collaboration, and creates an unhealthy “look out for Number One” culture.
On top of all that, it teaches up-and-coming managers to propagate the behavior. This is inevitable, because the fact that it is so prevalent in others means that it has to be exhibited by all, just as a basic survival technique.
Not so funny, after all, is it?
So, how do you deal with this? As a manager, how do you resolve the intellectual and emotional dissonance generated by the apparently counter-intuitive need to retain responsibility at the same time that you relinquish authority?
We’ll take a look at that question tomorrow. Please be sure to join us!
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Today’s tip: Speaking of intellectual and emotional dissonance, how about the quandary presented by the need to get a new office chair. Please see this hilarious post on five essential upgrades for this surprisingly important item, by G.L. Hoffman (Thanks to Molly DiBianca, of The Delaware Employment Law Blog, for the tip).
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Technorati Tags: work, responsibility, task, authority, manager, delegate, productive, behavior, progress, morale, collaboration, culture, G.L. Hoffman, Molly DiBianca
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