DELEGATION MODEL

Model:

Summary:

This delegation model is a strategic tool for leaders and managers to decide how to allocate tasks based on their impact and the type of decision involved. It is organized into a 2x2 matrix with two axes: impact (low to high) and decision type (2-way door and trapdoor).

Axes Explanation:

1. Impact (Horizontal Axis):
• Low Impact: Tasks or decisions that have minimal effect on the overall goals or outcomes.
• High Impact: Tasks or decisions that significantly affect the overall goals or outcomes.
2. Decision Type (Vertical Axis):
• 2-Way Door: Decisions that are reversible. If something goes wrong, it can be changed back without major consequences.
• Trapdoor: Decisions that are irreversible or very difficult to reverse, implying high stakes.

Quadrants:

1. Low Impact, 2-Way Door (Bottom-Left Quadrant):
• Delegate or Model: These tasks should be delegated to team members. It's also an opportunity to model good practices and let others learn from the experience.
2. High Impact, 2-Way Door (Bottom-Right Quadrant):
• Delegate or Model: Similar to the low-impact tasks, these should be delegated but with careful modeling of the expected outcomes due to their higher impact.
3. Low Impact, Trapdoor (Top-Left Quadrant):
• Delegate: These tasks should be delegated, but with an emphasis on modeling the decision-making process due to the irreversible nature of the task.
4. High Impact, Trapdoor (Top-Right Quadrant):
• Do or Delegate to Future Leader: These are critical tasks that a manager should either do themselves or delegate to a future leader, someone who is being groomed for higher responsibilities. This is due to the high stakes and irreversible nature of the task.

Insights from Claire Hughes Johnson's "Scaling People":

In her book, Claire Hughes Johnson discusses effective delegation strategies and emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of tasks and the impact of decisions. The model aligns with her principles:

• Empowerment Through Delegation: Delegation is not just about offloading work but about empowering team members, building their skills, and preparing them for future responsibilities.
• Clarity in Decision-Making: Clear communication about the nature of tasks and the expectations for outcomes is crucial. This ensures that team members understand their roles and the importance of their tasks.
• Balancing Risk and Learning: By delegating reversible decisions (2-way doors), managers allow team members to learn and grow in a low-risk environment. For high-stakes tasks (trapdoors), it's essential to either handle them personally or ensure that they are in capable hands.
• Modeling Desired Behaviors: When delegating, especially high-impact tasks, it's important to model the desired approach and decision-making process. This helps in aligning team members with organizational goals and standards.
• Micromanagement (Under-delegation): Managers who under-delegate are often also folks who might be called micromanagers. They are over-involved in everything the team does, and they demand to be included in almost all of the team’s work or to review the work before it’s seen by anyone outside the division.
• Over-delegation: Managers who over-delegate are very good at making employees feel empowered and trusted, but they get too far removed from the work and don’t recognize when an employee is in over their head. They also give employees work they’re not ready for, and they don’t demand high quality from their reports. “People-oriented” managers who care a lot about including and trusting people are at risk of over-delegating.

By integrating these insights, managers can effectively utilize the delegation model to foster a productive and empowered team while ensuring critical tasks are handled appropriately.

Sources:

Scaling People - Claire Hughes Johnson

Quotes:

"Efficiency is doing better what is already being done. Effectiveness is deciding what to do better.” - Peter Drucker

“Prioritize: Do fewer, Do Them Better.” - Mahan Khals