Management is an extremely useful application. Be it Peter Drucker’s theory or Henry Fayol’s 14 principles, one finds its application in one or the other way in daily business dealings. When time and work principles were formulated, it was only out of necessity, though now bosses ensure they use this completely to keep a check on wavering employees, usually trying to discover a crack code to use a new video game or download a website which offers chat options which are blocked in the office! But most of all, one important give away from the great science of Management, is the art of Delegation.
Delegation in simple words is passing on authority, to a junior from the same line, to complete a certain work. It is an important part of working and makes operations easier and quick. But right after the definition was out, people started twisting it around like a rubber tube. Some of the more intelligent business species have led their entire career on this principle. The condition may be termed Chronic Delegation. Some of the simple signs of a chronic delegator are:
· They are in the managerial level or above and generally have at least 5 people reporting to them, and all 5 are usually busy with something that has been asked by their boss.
· The organisation structure is invisible to perpetual and chronic delegators. In many cases, work is delegated across the line in a zig zag manner that can make a matrix organization blush
· The chronic delegator is a restless creature. He / she is forever blackberrying the delegatee on the status of a job whose deadline is 3 weeks away. But, what’s intriguing about this species is that when the delegatee wants information or clarification, the delegator goes missing mysteriously and emails are always replied with an “Out of Office” message. Go figure!
· You’d find the delegatee usually working on projects that have been given by the chronic delegator. Ask the delegatee about “personal initiatives” and it might take the green horn a long time to understand the word.
The person who usually hives off responsibility also has certain discernible traits that are unique to the species. He/ she:
· Works in a cabin for a very short time but comes out to hover around the cubicles of those to whom he has probably asked to find out the origin of ASAP
· Hobnobs with the super boss and family; and presents what the green horn had submitted as a project a week ago
· Keeps asking the same questions a million times
· Makes a million changes in a day on a report, repeating a previously striked out option
· Acts in the same manner like the time when one feels like detaching his oily hand and asking a more than willing room mate to wash it and get it back while he watches ESPN.
· Fails to understand the words “I don’t work for you” when told by a junior from the other department, and gives a forlorn look in the hope of getting a breakthrough.
Many times the chronic delegator is unaware of his/ her condition and may completely disagree when confronted with the reports. What is totally comprehensible for him would be an arrogant marketing guy volunteering to take up a CSR project for no incentive. In many ways, it reminds me of the initial stages of schizophrenia. God help!
Divya Rao
January 18, 2009
Mumbai
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