We have seen that a manager cannot delegate responsibility, but can delegate authority without losing any of it – and without losing any control, into the bargain. So, how does this relate to the commonly made suggestion that employees should be given “ownership” of decisions?
To begin with, it points to something that is key to a proper understanding of delegating: you assign tasks – you do not abrogate them. That is, when you delegate a task, you have not given it away. It remains yours because the responsibility for it remains yours.
Decisions are also like that. You can give away the authority to make them. But you cannot give away the responsibility for making them – and certainly not ownership of them, either.
So, by all means, let employees make all of the decisions you want. Just remember that you are still responsible. Like authority, the decisions you delegate retain their origin in you.
It is well to remain aware of the limits beyond which we, as managers, cannot express our fashionable notions of enlightened management. We are not owners. Our obligations outweigh our latitude for experimentation in this regard.
On the other hand, it is just as well to be fully aware of the context within which we, in fact, can employ intelligent and thoughtful methods of modern management. If we practice the delegation of authority and decision-making from a firm appreciation of a solid foundation in retained responsibility, all parties concerned – owners, managers, and employees – will be far the better for it.
The doing of that is an altogether different – and, of course, a very large – subject. We will close the current one out, tomorrow. See you then!
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Today’s tip: Group decision-making – and groupthink – are hardly new phenomena. And neither of them are restricted to humans, either. Please see this fascinating piece from The Economist for more on this.
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