Effective Delegation: Finding the Balance Between Delegating and Dumping

Hi all,

Could someone clarify the difference between delegating and dumping? I hear many complaints from the employees that the reporting heads (PL/PM) are rude to them, shout at times, and dump their frustrations. I am trying to understand if there is a better way of dealing with subordinates to get the work done within the specified time. Why can't one give instructions instead of giving orders?

I have only been counseling employees about work pressure, tasks, and trying to acknowledge them with some surprises like taking them to a movie or giving them lunch parties. The senior staff have been here since the company was founded, and they might not like being counseled. How do you think I should convey the grievances of employees to them?

Hi,

Putting appropriate policy in place would be ideal. If you already have an Employee Handbook, please make sure that these issues/employee grievances/problems are addressed.

Thank you.

Satya
Hyderabad

Hi Sari,

Always, you have these kinds of problems between the Manager and subordinate. Causes for these kinds of problems may be:

1. Miscommunication between the manager and subordinate
2. Lack of clarity in the goals
3. Manager's incapability to handle the team
4. Subordinates not being rewarded or recognized properly.

This issue can be resolved by:

1. Setting clear goals and documenting them.
2. Clearly communicating expectations to the subordinate.
3. Rewarding the entire team, including the Manager, upon completion of work and spreading recognition across the Company.
4. Sending the Manager for training.
5. HR should discuss the team's problems with the Manager.
6. Holding periodic meetings, not exceeding half an hour, to discuss project issues and progress.
7. Cultivating team spirit.

When the work and timeframe are clearly set and properly communicated, there is no dumping of work.

Thank you, ksk and Sangeeth, for your comments on this. Having a policy in the handbook is not able to change the attitude of the seniors. Despite bringing this to the notice of my higher management, not much has been done so far. They feel seniors have been here for quite some time and cannot confront them. We do not have alternative resources to handle the senior staff's attitude towards their subordinates. They do not have proper resource planning and are poor in time management. Although we have tried various ways to train them, not much seems fruitful.

I agree with Satya - the top management has to decide and participate in this issue. Being in for a long time doesn't mean they are out of the company's rules, but it is difficult to make them understand it. Change management is the right thing that your company has to start.

Hi Sari,

Try swapping the role once a month at least! Sometimes words fail or fall on deaf ears, but certain actions can make a breakthrough. Another try could be that all should assemble and everyone will tell what they have done for the first time in that month/week or anything new they have learned/noticed outside of work.

Regards,
Janavi

Thank you, dear friends, once again for your valuable time and suggestions. Swapping may not be possible due to the limited projects and resources, resulting in positions becoming stagnant. The environment is being negatively affected, leading to the entire system being polluted. Do you think that firing them would resolve the issue in any way?

Hi Sari,

How are you doing?

The solution is quite simple. You don't have to go for counseling for the senior employees as that never works; the ego always comes into the picture.

Please issue a format to all the employees and make it mandatory to respond, even if it is with a "no comment." It can be adopted as a company policy, where a list of all the employees is mentioned:

Sr. No Name Pro Con Department

1. a
2. b

etc.

Then make two columns and term them as pro or con. Ask every employee to comment on the rest of the people, both seniors and juniors. Also, make a policy that this document will be available only to the HR manager or someone responsible. Afterwards, forward a letter to each employee citing his pros and cons without mentioning the name of the person who has commented. This procedure can be repeated every two months and can also be used during appraisals.

The above can be limited to each department.

I believe the above solution should work.

The HR here will have to do a bit of work, analyzing each document. You can also opt for a web-based forum so that it can be analyzed with ease.

The above process will never hurt anyone's ego. Name it as an improvement process to make your company a better place to work for everybody. I am still not able to comprehend how this can go wrong. In case of any comments, do provide.

Regards,

AJ

Dear friend AJ, greetings!

Thank you so much for your valuable inputs.

Ours is a small firm with 70 employees, out of which 25 are from another department, 5 from administration, 3 from sales, 3 from the supporting team, and the rest are from the department that has complaints against their senior staff - 2 PMs and 2 PLs in each team, with 10-12 employees under them.

I have conducted a survey to allow employees to express their concerns anonymously. However, not many came forward as they were worried about being identified by the seniors. Some employees were able to clearly state their issues, but the seniors ignored them. In fact, after the survey (within 3 months), 7 people have resigned, indicating that they felt nothing could be done to address their concerns.

I have spoken to my CEO clearly about the challenges, particularly regarding one senior who is difficult to manage. Unfortunately, no action has been taken so far.

Please suggest what steps should be taken in this scenario.

Hi Sari,

Since you have already tried the same, I suggest you invite a motivational speaker or trainer, or even a person with industrial psychology experience. Let the training take place at a neutral location, not at your office.

Hire a good trainer and inform them about the problems. Ensure that during the training, no HR person or senior employee is present when it's for juniors. Similarly, for the training with seniors, make sure no juniors or HR personnel are present.

After individual training sessions, have a combined training. The advantage is that you have a list of problems, so let a third person bring them to their attention. Generally, it is noticed that people listen more to a third person than to someone within the company. Firing is not a very good option.

If you need help with finding trainers, let me know. A friend of mine attended such a training which helped their organization. I could provide you with the name and contact number of the same person in a couple of days.

Regards,
AJ

Hi Sari,

Greetings for the day!

Sorry for the delayed reply. Already, senior members of this forum have come up with some wonderful suggestions. I would just like to add a few points to it.

The senior members of the organization are always tough to handle, especially when the HR person has joined after them :). They feel that a new person is trying to invade their territory.

I suggest having a session with the senior employees to find out their work-related issues. I am sure at first they will be reluctant to share their problems with you. It will take some time, be friendly with them. Try to sort out their issues and gain their confidence so that they accept you as a part of the management team. Once this is done, I guess it will be easier for you to discuss the problems the juniors are facing.

We always have the option of firing an employee, but firing a senior member can be a costly decision for management because:

1. We usually have a lot of dependency on senior members.

2. They are trained resources and hence are difficult to replace.

I hope my post makes sense to you.

Thank you so much, AJ. It sounds good. I shall definitely try getting a trainer to address this issue. :)

Thank you so much, Indu. But you know what, we are all very good friends. In fact, we share various personal issues. However, when it comes to my peeping into their technical territory, they always make me a stranger and do not entertain my suggestions/requests. :(

Yeah, what you said is absolutely true. Firing would be the last option. Thank you all for sharing your views :)

Hi Sari! You can try the following:

Have more clear job responsibilities established. The job requirements for the subordinate should be discussed by the supervisor, the employee, and HR together, with the supervisor providing clarity about the 'how' part of the job requirements in the presence of HR. Make it an open communication so that the subordinate can seek clarification from the supervisor.

Organize more informal meetings focusing on the hobbies of employees.

Arrange team-building exercises to improve coordination and team spirit.

For us to provide advice is very easy. I don't know how difficult it will be for you to implement. Firing is definitely not the desired option :)

- Hiten

Hi,

Your problem seems to be an attitude issue among the top management, and it is quite common. If you wish to convey a strong message subtly, consider starting an e-magazine or an internal blog site where all employees can log in and share their feelings.

In the e-magazine, you can encourage employees to write articles. Additionally, you can include articles that convey the message you want to communicate. Another simple approach is to send an open email to all, attaching informative articles on leadership, the art of delegating, giving feedback, etc.

I believe this approach will help you subtly communicate your message to management. Give these suggestions a try and let me know if they prove effective.

Regards,
Kunal

Hi Hiten,

Greetings! How are you?

Job descriptions and KRAs are already in place, but being a small firm, the employees are expected to do multitasking. So, most of the time, they end up doing more than what they are supposed to. However, as you suggested, transparency in job roles has not been focused on much. I shall work on it.

I was missing your comment. Thank you so much :)

Hi Sari,

Every organization faces this problem. The best way to deal with it is to make the employees feel responsible. They should feel that their work is very important. When they are given extra responsibility, it should be conveyed to them in such a manner that they feel it is a reward for their good work and that they are more important because the work was assigned to them and not to others.

One short story: Three people were building a bridge. The first one was asked what he was doing, and he replied, "Lifting bricks." The second one was asked the same question, and he replied, "Making money." The third one was asked the same question, and he replied, "I am building the best bridge in the world." It's all about how one looks towards their job.

It's true that it's very difficult to counsel senior and old employees; however, what you can do is send them some presentations on motivational, work-related, or whatever you think they need training on. Always ask for acknowledgment and suggestions from them so they feel important and engaged. It's an indirect way of training and counseling.

Regards,
Kaushal

Periodical Meetings, Establishing department systems and procedures, Role clarity for all positions, Job rotation, Outbound training, picnics, family day celebrations, training on managerial abilities, meditation, etc., can help to a certain extent.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

I don't think firing would be easy as it may seem from far. They have been in the system for a long time and must have their connections with the top layer as well.

You can organize a leadership program and name it "Lead the Leaders." The program should include modules on leadership skills, psyche/expectations of an old employee vs. a new employee, the impact of bad leaders on the organization as a whole, etc. However, you must ensure that the person conducting this program is a very senior individual with extensive experience who can delve into their souls and make them feel guilty about their actions.

After such a program, you need to gather periodic feedback and review it.

If the above is not possible, I have a different suggestion to encourage them to look for better opportunities. I can't say whether it would work or not.

If you have any friends working in recruitment consultancies, please share their (your seniors') contact details with them and ask them to reach out to these individuals if they have any opportunities. It's a subtle way to encourage them to seek new prospects.

Regards

Sari,

I would like to state that firing is a significant term and should only be exercised when every other means of change has failed, or any employee (no matter what grade/level) has violated company policy or engaged in any misconduct. I suggest you sit face to face with one or two of the most senior members of the organization and share your thoughts with them. Help them understand the consequences of the current state. It would be best to share some employee concerns with them while ensuring confidentiality. Share your detailed plan with them and ask for their support, help, and time. Then, create a detailed plan with them, involve these leaders in activities, and let employees see that changes are coming from top management. Focus on one or two of the most critical issues at any given time and set a timeline to observe and measure effectiveness.

Let me know if you need any help from me.

Regards,
Yasha

Hi Sari,

According to me, your issue seems to lie in the kind of people you hire.

The "dumping disease," as I call it, is not curable in the short run. As someone said, it could be an attitude problem of the person - and it generally is.

An attitude problem is difficult to define. In my understanding, it would arise when a person gets his/her way by following a set path (screaming/shouting/abusing) at others. Since the strategy has worked without much problem in the past, the person is definitely going to use it again and again, primarily because there has been no resistance. Secondly, when resistance is met, the shouting etc becomes louder/stronger in a bid to achieve their end. This obviously leads to a bad environment at the workplace.

So your solutions:

1) Track the tenure of employees who work under such people. Do exit interviews at the time of leaving to determine push/pull factors for the exit. At the end of a quarter or 6 months, publish the results to top management, including the person's boss.
2) Offer indirect counseling. It is entirely possible that the person concerned is mimicking behavior of significant adults from their childhood. So make them aware that shouting, etc., are not the only options to get jobs done.
3) Additionally, you could try a role change for the person where team management is not required and where team-working is at a minimum level.
4) In your recruitment process, introduce a parameter and appropriate questions to evaluate team-working and team management skills. Thus, you will ensure that you do not have such people in your organization.

Trust this is helpful. Write in offline if you wish to discuss this further.

Regards,

Ryan

Hi, Guys,

I have known SARI for quite a while; she is the person who started this query, and she is quite experienced. Therefore, please limit your comments to alternative solutions or provide solutions after going through the entire post.

Please suggest a solution considering the seniority of the person who has started this thread. What I mean is to respect the person's intelligence.

This is not to offend any of you who are here to support, but to avoid repetition of the same solution over and over again.

Regards,
AJ

Hi Sari,

1. Give your subordinate in writing proper responsibility and authority.
2. Always take proper feedback and check periodically whether they have completed their assigned work. This will avoid confusion and communication gaps.
3. Try to be friendly with your subordinates, but at the same time, ensure they do their work properly. Slowly develop the sense of responsibility among the subordinates so that a time comes when you do not have to follow up; they themselves should feel responsible for the assigned job. However, managers should never forget to reward their subordinates for their good work.

Nikhat

Dear Sari,

I do not think firing could be the most effective answer to your predicament. Instead, try the refining system. This could be done by designing a point system for the PL & PM where leadership effectiveness will be an integral part of their performance. A decent weightage must be given to this.

You could also start publicizing the same in the organization, which will compel the leaders to do something about their leadership. You could start with an intensive leadership program that will include suggestions & creative inputs for effective leadership. This would probably be the final attempt & make them aware of the consequences if they don't come around. Firing will be the ultimate option.

Hope you will be successful next time round. Keep me posted & I would be glad to help at every stage if required.

Regards,
Gogo

Hi Sari,

You can never change the attitude of senior management. So it's only possible to make the employees understand. Continue counseling them on a positive path so that they feel that the seniors are just venting their frustrations on them and that the employees' work and personal lives should not get affected due to them. Try to implement the concepts of Quality of Work Life.

Hi Sari,

I may sound too junior to suggest this, but I think you can have an open house meeting. Right from the beginning, you can instruct the team that if they want to get their issues resolved, they should be open and healthy.

Secondly, you can work out situations on a case-by-case basis. Talk with the subordinates and help them understand why certain things are happening.

Remember, as someone in HR, you need to act as a bridge between departments.

I hope I am on the right track. Best of luck!

Manasi :)

Hello Sari:

Is there a better way of dealing with subordinates to get the work done within a specified time?

Yes.

Why can't one give instructions instead of giving orders?

Most managers are managers for reasons other than their managerial talent.

I have only been counseling employees about work pressure, tasks, and trying to acknowledge them with some surprises like taking them for a movie or giving them lunch parties.

My boss tried that with our engineering department, but he did it only once—employees need an engaged workday, not more fun during non-work time.

Senior staff are here since the company was founded; they might not like being counseled. How do you think I should convey the grievances of employees to them?

Has the senior staff had the pleasure of a 360 feedback?

Bob Gately
gately@csi.com

No, firing the team member is not a good thing. We should educate the subordinate regarding the importance of the work and make him feel like a responsible person for that work. Therefore, we need to guide and support him, rather than forcing him.

Regards,
Raghunath Deepala

Hi Sari,

I am facing a similar problem where the managers feel they are a class apart, they flaunt liberties, break rules, and dismiss complaints from team members. My suggestions are taken as interference. I am stuck with this attitude and trying to find ways of addressing it but nothing seems to work as I find the willingness not there in the managers. :wacko:

Often, the reason for employees' frustration is not the fact that they receive an order to do something, but it is the lack of freedom on how to accomplish a task. It's important sometimes to tell them what to do (your role as a manager executing the strategy of the company); however, leave them the freedom on the how...

Hi Neena,

Please read my previous post in this thread. What I would suggest is to get a trainer. Tell him your problems and name the employees who have been causing issues. Discuss their profiles in detail, of course, without their knowledge. Arrange a training schedule for the same.

I am sure it will help. Usually, what happens is when people become seniors, regardless of being managers or not, they have a tendency to ignore juniors, even from other departments. This behavior is often due to insecurity or personal issues at home, which they may not be comfortable discussing with the HR team. It's like revealing your weaknesses. Therefore, if a third person, unaffiliated with your company, conducts a one-on-one discussion, it would be easier for them to open up or seek advice.

Regards,
AJ

Congrats, Sari, for raising such an interesting topic.

From my point of view, it is perception whether someone perceives the work as delegation or dumping. In a win-win situation, there is no dumping but gaining. That's how the age-old management's SWOT speaks about and is vital; it has stood the test of time.

A right man must position himself in the right atmosphere unless he is authorized for trendsetting, cultural setting, and change implementations. Here, again, there is resistance to change by the seniors.

Emphasize the slogan that EVERYONE NEEDS TRAINING and send all the seniors for different selected modules of training. We have witnessed that these old seniors have literally cried in front of the trainers about how their behavior was with their workmen and peers.

Keep up your modern management techniques; soon the masses will follow you. The days of giving orders or instructions are obsolete; you have to strive for every individual working with you for his goal and the organization's goal. Involve yourself with your workmen to get things done.

Thank you all for your suggestions :)

I am in the process of hiring a trainer to train the staff. Thanks to one and all once again for sharing your wonderful ideas. I shall definitely update you all about whether it had worked or not :)

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Hello Sari:

I am in the process of hiring a trainer to train the staff. That is a good first step since managers like to train employees when the employees are less than successful. Will the managers be trained as well? If employees are trained more than their supervisors, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Will training be blamed if employees don't respond accordingly? If employers teach their employees how to behave and the managers don't behave the same way, does that encourage cooperation or resentment? Management often invests in training when their behavior is the problem. If you need your job, be careful.

Bob Gately
gately@csi.com

Dear Sari,

Skip-level meetings help seniors understand the problems of the subordinates. You can also try an open house to devise new ways of dealing with the issue. I would suggest having a grievance box where the issues you receive can be discussed with a team comprising senior people. For maximum participation from the seniors, consider calling them "the change agents." As the name suggests, they will be responsible for bringing change to the organization. I will think about the issue and revert in case I can come up with anything that could be helpful.

Regards,
Avi.

Hi Bob,

IF I MAY...

Training can be done, except for the top management, if a notice or a memo can be issued in the office for the same, explaining it as an effort to make the workplace a better place.

I generally would opt for aptitude and leadership training rather than technical.

I recently had the pleasure of coming across such a person who had undergone similar training wherein he met with each individual separately, formed small groups, and then had a big group. It was less training and more of a discussion.

Results cannot be expected immediately, but once an individual becomes aware of their flaws or shortcomings, at least we can expect them to work on it.

We cannot always expect a 100% response from employees, whether a manager or a junior-level employee. I believe that anything done with good intentions and conveyed in a similar manner would never harm the workplace.

Also, ensuring that the training environment is comfortable for personnel would help improve their attitude towards attending the training.

Regards,

AJ

These are human behaviors which one cannot predict. It's mainly to do with a person's lack of management or just his/her ego. A good manager requires to be a good leader.

Hi Bob,

Naseer here. Training is a continuous phenomenon, not just limited to any level of hierarchy. As no human being is ideal, the same is true for learning and training; even the trainer needs training.

When it comes to the blame game, in my view, training is an investment and should be deployed cautiously. Blame should be directed towards the "case study of individual behavior." To this effect, competency mapping and succession planning are a must.

Hello,

It appears that this is a sensitive issue: those who perceive they are being dumped upon cannot or will not address the issue and allow feelings of helplessness and anger to distract them from their work.

Seniors, from what you have articulated, perhaps feel they have "earned" the right to pass on work without the type of clear communication Sangeetha has mentioned. The result... a breeding ground for a toxic and passive-aggressive work culture.

One suggestion might be that the concern for effective delegation be brought up as an "organizational effectiveness issue"; no one person is blamed and targeted.

Find one "champion" within the organization who delegates well to write or communicate about his/her successes and offer a "checklist" for effective delegation. Circulate information on best practices. Raise the issue to a level of importance instead of just a "grumble."

For the "dumpees," I understand their frustration. In my career progression, I experienced that from a senior professional. What I learned to do was to say, when I was overwhelmed or given too much to do, the following:

"So and So, I am always happy to assist the department in meeting its objectives and goals; however, at this time, I have several important tasks on my plate. To take on this additional task will require time and resources. Can you guide me and suggest how you would like me to reorder my current responsibilities? Something will have to go to the backburner, and I would like your expert guidance on how to make this happen."

Often the task was handled by them or given to someone else capable of performing it. I found this to be an effective, clear, and non-confrontational push-back.

What do others think?

Hi! This serves to introduce myself. I am Ben Nyambe, an HR Generalist Practitioner employed by Zambia National Building Society, a quasi-Government Organisation whose main function is to provide housing finance to both corporate and individual customers.

My position is that of Senior Manager HR.

Regards to you all.

Ben

Dear All,

Straight answer to the question of Sari:
Apart from Delegating, there are words like Abdicating, Dumping, Allocating...

Abdicating: I have time to do the work but I don't want to do it, hence abdicating.

Dumping: Since there is a chance of error/mistakes, it is given to a subordinate.

Allocating: In view of the theory of division of labor, work is to be distributed among team members.

Delegating: After understanding the strengths of subordinates, the job is assigned following proper discussion, guidance, and a review of progress at certain intervals.

Hope I have been able to clear doubts.

Regards,
ACCHR

Hello AJ:

> IF I MAY....

Yes, of course.

Training can be done except for the top management if a notice or a memo can be issued in the office for the same, explaining it as an effort to make the workplace a better place.

Such a notice does not negate the problem of training employees to be good employees while not training managers to be good managers.

I generally would opt for aptitude and leadership training rather than technical. Do you mean attitude? How do we train for aptitude? Who should be trained in leadership first, the employees or the managers?

I recently had the pleasure of coming across such a person who had done similar training wherein he met with each individual separately, then formed small groups, and finally had a big group. It was less of training and more of a discussion. Corporate culture has a lot to do with how such events are accepted.

Results can't be expected immediately, but once any individual comes to know about his flaws or shortcomings, at least we can expect him to work on it.

Quite true, but if the problem is the supervisor's behavior, will we fix the problem by training the direct reports? I agree.

We can't always expect a 100% response from the employees, be it a manager or a junior-level employee.

I believe anything done with good intentions and conveyed in a similar manner would never hamper the workplace. A bad management decision done with good intentions and conveyed in a similar manner will most definitely hamper the workplace; it happens all too frequently. Good intentions don't undo bad decisions.

Also, making sure that it's a comfortable place where the personnel have their training would also help their attitude of attending the same. I agree, but it is frustrating to learn the right way to do the job when the supervisor disagrees.

Hello Johnny Pinto:

These are human behaviors which one cannot predict.

Does that mean we are all unpredictable?

It's mainly to do with a person's lack of management.

If that were true, managers with MBAs would all be excellent managers, and we know that is not true.

Or just his/her ego.

It is their behaviors that get in their way.

A good manager requires being a good leader.

Managing and leading are two different things, and we can be good at one or the other, or both, or neither. Too many managers are not good at either.

Hello Naseer,

Training is a continuous phenomenon, not just limited to any level of hierarchy. We must differentiate between learning on the job and training by the employer. As no human being is ideal, the same is true for learning and training; even the trainer needs training. If the problem is the manager, why do we train the direct reports? In my view, training is an investment and should be deployed cautiously. I agree. Blame should go to the "Case study of individual behavior"; to this effect, competency mapping and succession planning are a must. Managers/employers get the employee behaviors they deserve.

Hi Sari,

Firing an employee is never a solution. Have an informal conversation with the seniors, maybe over lunch, and make them feel responsible for taking care of their subordinates. When they take steps to identify the grievances of their subordinates, they might understand and alter their behavior.