1UNIT 4 GROUP PROJECT CONTRIBUTION
Running Head: MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNIT 4 GROUP PROJECT, PART 1, BY
CARLA J. MCCOY
My Contribution to the Unit 4 Group Project - Part 1
Carla J. McCoy
American InterContinental University
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UNIT 4 GROUP PROJECT - PART 1
Unit 4 Group Project Contribution
The article “My Contribution to the Unit 4 Group Project – Part 1” (McCoy, C., 2009)
describes a personal response on Suggesting and Summarizing in-depth how a team will plan,
organize, control, and lead, to achieve the goals of a successful training guide on delegation.
According to McCoy (2009) delegation among peers and the workplace are based on many
criteria. Included practical examples from personal experiences and/or research of both good
delegation and poor delegation scenarios are evident, precise, and understandable.
Delegation Planning
Suggest and Summarize a Plan
The Personal Overview of (McCoy, C., 2009) on Delegation can be done providing all
twelve rules of delegation skills are integrated into the plan. The twelve rules are listed prior to
the Plan in order to help you understand what needs to be done to create a Plan. (Lannon, R.,
2008)
1. Decide why you are delegating and if you are delegating to build people, develop people
or to develop someone in particular. Decide if you are delegating to eliminate work you
don’t like to do.
2. Trust people you work with, and let go. You can’t control everything. Hand over tasks to
those trying to prevent you from reaching your full potential.
3. Create a delegation plan using a delegation matrix to develop other people and get your
work load done. This will help everyone understand all expectations being set.
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4. Define tasks to be done once deciding if it can be delegated and is suitable. Be clear on
what the task is and is not otherwise you will be disappointed and everyone will end up
feeling like a failure.
5. Assign each individual, including yourself a task and explain your reasoning for
delegating that task to each individual. Be honest and explain what each individual will
get out of doing the task. A good example would be: (It’s a good motivator).
6. Consider ability and training needs, and ask yourself if each individual do the task and if
they clearly understand what needs to be done. Should resources become a problem
develop a mentoring or support program which will enable everyone.
7. Explain why each individual job is being done and the reason for it. Be willing to
negotiate points that are appropriate. Show you have ownership of the task by explaining
why each individual must complete their part.
8. Verbally announce the results and be willing to answer questions. Explain in detail what
must be achieved, what the measurements will be, and clarify your intentions of deciding
if the job was successfully done or not.
9. Be prepared for challenges that may arise with each individual, team, location, time,
equipment, materials, and money.
10. Give a deadline that includes status reporting such as explaining when tasks are due, what
the operational duties are, and giving a status report date explaining how it is due to
ensure everyone is doing their task. Also ask each individual for a summary in their own
words. Your team needs to know you trust them.
11. Give support and communicate often. Speak to individuals that know what’s going on.
Make responsibilities clear and precise.
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12. Ask for feedback from each individual. Let people know how they are doing and if they
are accomplishing their task. Never blame-storm, but rather absorb any consequences of
failure and create the environment in the form of failure being an opportunity to learn and
grow. (Lannon, R., 2008)
The first step in Delegation Planning requires two planning activities prior to creating the
plan itself. The first one would be defining success which requires a determination that
constitutes successful performances that are assigned on the task. Each individual task needs to
be assigned separately and individually according to a high probability per each individual can
perform and be successful. If for any reason there is failure to define a successful outcome per
each individual then it trades off from being a prediction to a gamble. Two components to
defining success are defining the successful outcome of the task, and determining appropriate
processes needed to complete tasks. Desired outcomes may come in the form of decreased
complaints, or increased sales. Types of processes may come in the form of greater empathy, or
better client education. The second activity would be to assess qualifications needed per each
individual. A good prediction of success per each individual will consider their job requirements
and competencies. A poor prediction of success per each individual will have hope for success,
without a basis for that hope. (Camp, R., 2007)
The second step in Delegation Planning requires a determination of subordinate
capabilities. Choice plays an important role in this step because a decision on which subordinate
will receive which assignment or if the delegate should be done at all. No matter which decision
is made the subordinate’s capabilities still need to be assessed. Considerations need to be
assessed such as workers who are effective in obtaining desired results, yet could possibly use
unacceptable processes to obtain the results. A good manager will know each worker’s
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accomplishments, and past behaviors which give opportunity for better effective future
delegation. Even though there are individuals that lack relevant training and experience, the
process still applies, but with different questions such as “What is the performance of this
individual on previous assignments where they lack experience and training?” This develops a
basis for the delegation so it doesn’t end up becoming a gamble. (Camp, R., 2007)
The third step in Delegation Planning is the process that’s used which is as critical as the
planning. A poor process reduces the effectiveness of the delegation because it can not only
lower the worker’s motivation but will not produce desired results either. Also if there is no
communication of standards for the task it will also not produced desired results. In order to
avoid obstacles such as failing to share information and discussing problems, these things should
be considered when making an assignment. 1). Allow employees to participate in the delegation
process. When an employee accepts their assignment it enhances by being accepted and when
they have some say so in the process. Workers should also be allowed to participate In the
determination of how the task should be accomplished along with what the assignment should
actually be. Participation and Communication is an important process which will eliminate
misunderstandings and minimize problems. 2.) Specify Standards. Communication problems
occur from failure to consider and specify performance standards of the assignment. A few
things to consider are the limitations of the subordinate’s tasks such as making a decision, or
gathering information. Another thing to consider would be what the expected level of
performance is, or constraints in which they will be operating, or deadlines for reporting. These
are the issues that need to be discussed prior to the delegation whether the subordinate is given a
choice or not to accept the assignment. (Camp, R., 2007)
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The fourth step in Delegation Planning is Balance responsibility and authority. One good
delegation error is when work is delegated without giving the freedom to make decisions or the
authority to implement them which can lead to frustration. This problem can easily be eliminated
by communication with each individual worker that is affected by the assignment. It’s a wise
decision to also ask subordinates about resources they will need for the task and then empower
them to secure those resources accordingly. Support should be provided for the delegated task by
the manager. In order to achieve this, the Manager may need to continually providing important
information and receiving feedback from workers. Credit should be given when a task is
accomplished. Giving credit not only enhances workers motivation and authority but also sends
an important message to others who will complete the task successfully with acknowledgement
and rewards. (Camp, R., 2007)
The fifth step in Delegation Planning is to Delegate Consistently. There are managers that
delegate in situations where they are in a crisis or are overworked which send workers a negative
message. Workers will feel as though they are used and that they only receive assignments when
it benefits the manager when it should benefit both the Manager and workers. When a manager
delegates to develop workers during times of crisis and when they are overworked they need to
delegate assignments that will develop or stretch each individual’s talents and skills which will
build up a huge encouragement for talent in these particular situations. Not only that but it
increases motivation and confidence. In order for an employee not to be set up to fail they need
care and assurance that they do have the capability to succeed. When failure occurs it needs to be
recognized and viewed as an opportunity by receiving helpful and developmental feedback.
Strong emphasis should be placed on positive work that was done as well as a discussion on
what actions could have prevented the problems that arose. (Camp, R., 2007)
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The sixth step in Delegation Planning is to Balance the Assignments. Workers need to be re-
assured that the work they are doing does not involve doing anyone else’s dirty work. One good
thing for Managers to do is to delegate pleasant and unpleasant things, and challenge the boring
assignments as well as balancing assignments among each worker. It is not a good idea to
delegate an assignment that is unpleasant to the best worker simply because they can be counted
on to do a good job. On the other hand there are workers who will avoid receiving unpleasant
assignments due to the results having poor quality within the finished product. A message is sent
to the better worker when this happens that if they do not want the unpleasant assignment then
all they have to do is lower the quality of his/her work. To avoid this problem the manager needs
to do one of two things. Either give each individual worker a reward, or increase the number of
unpleasant assignments to unproductive workers until the results improve. (Camp, R., 2007)
The seventh step in Delegation Planning is to Focus on the Results. During this process
prior to the results managers need to give the workers space and not supervise too closely
because it causes frustration and makes workers feel as though there is a lack of confidence in
their ability. In other words Managers should review and evaluate the finished result rather than
the means used to accomplish the task. However, Managers also need to make sure that the
process and outcome both are consistent with the goals provided which can be provided through
clear standards prior to the delegation. The standards need to be remembered and the manager
should not intervene unless the standards have been violated. For example a manager should
avoid tendencies to intervene over style differences. By allowing individuals to make their own
choices this gives a great source of innovation within the organization. (Camp, R., 2007)
The eighth step in Delegation Planning is Group vs. Individual Delegation. There is one
difference in between Group and Individual Delegation and that is individual behavior.
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Individual behavior is easier to monitor and control than group delegation is. An alternative here
would be for a manager to engage in participation among the group. However there is a
downside to that which would be that it could possibly send the wrong message to the group that
there is lack of trust leaving employees feeling as though the manager isn’t there to contribute
but rather to check the quality of their work. Managers should ask themselves questions and
review their own capabilities as a team member. A good question to ask them would be “What
can they add to the group in accomplishing the task?” Once they have that answer it should be
clearly distributed among the group in order for the group to understand why the manager has
taken part within the group. Once again the manager at this point should assess the groups past
behaviors and make predictions accordingly so it doesn’t turn into a gamble. (Camp, R., 2007)
There is another alternative step in Delegation Planning which could possibly be the
ninth step and that would be considered Upward Delegation. This is where the roles are reversed
and the employees will delegate their supervisors by shifting the assignment to a manager. This
is done when the worker feels the manager lacks a particular direction for a project they may be
working on but also the worker knows the manager has those capabilities to perform the task at
hand. The worker may ask the manager questions or ask for advice to solve a problem. If by
chance the manager might feel there are too many questions or that the worker is in need of too
much help then the manager can rescind the delegation and remove the task at hand from the
worker. If workers are overwhelming the manager with a need for assistance then the manager
can also require the worker to have one solution to every problem they bring to attention. In this
particular situation it would be wise for the manager to ask questions such as “What would you
do next or as an option or best approach?” This sends a message to the worker that they are
expected to take initiative in attempting to solve the problems on their own. The final result is
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that the manager reaps the benefits of employee empowerment and sees that it has enhanced their
motivation and commitment. Some good efficient questions to ask during Delegation Planning
are (1) how can a manager determine the capability of the worker performing it if they can’t
identify the successful outcome of a task? (2) How will the success of the delegation be judged
and what expectations are expected for someone to be successful? (3) What has the worker
accomplished to show they will be effective on the assignment? (4) How will the worker perform
on the assignment and why? (5) What considerations are there between Individual verses group
delegation, and even participation? (Camp, R., 2007)
How the Team will organize
A table has been provided to show the steps in efficient organization of delegation.
Choose the right person for the Job
Who is best qualified and who will
deliver the best results?
Who benefits most from the job?
Develop skills that can be used later on.
Enough Information
Show how work fits into the overall
operation.
What’s in it for the delegate?
Give a clear picture of what’s to be
accomplished.
Establish Parameters
Deciding on terms and conditions of
completion prior to delegating.
Be clear about Requirements and
Boundaries.
Don’t impose controls after delegating.
Full Authority for Decisions
Make delegate responsible for
completion of entire project.
Allow delegate to make crucial
decisions.
Make it clear who is in charge.
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Give Backup Support
Know the difference between rescuing
and supporting.
Make it clear that delegates realize they
don’t have to fight their battles alone.
Be on the delegate’s side when dealing
with clients, and colleagues.
Guidance Without Interfering
Point out roadblocks that could be
encountered.
Never offer to do the work for the
delegate.
Help delegate to come up with their
own solutions.
Keeping Focused on Results
Do not Micromanage or be to
particular.
Give delegate the freedom to decide on
the process.
Except in industries that have tight
regulations or procedures.
Learn to Delegate through Dialogue
Delegate in an environment that is
conductive to explaining.
Give your full attention to delegates,
and minimize interruptions.
Encourage comments, suggestions, and
questions.
Make them Accountable
Establish deadlines, not open ended
completion dates.
Be specific when a product is due.
Set sub-deadlines.
Milestones and Check in Dates
Awareness of the project is
recommended without hovering.
Keep a delegation log for status
purposes.
Delegate reports to be due on agreed
dates.
Offer Feedback
Don’t focus on what’s wrong.
Provide Adequate Resources
Point delegates in proper direction.
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Focus on what can be done to improve
it.
Give corrective and positive
commentary.
Create a list of resources that could
help delegates.
Contact colleagues to let them know
other delegates may need their help.
Stay Away from Reverse Delegation
Don’t let the work be delegated
back to you.
Listen to problems without the
responsibility for solving them.
Keep the focus on the delegate’s
ideas, and solutions.
When Credit is Due
Never take credit for another delegate’s
work.
Accept responsibility if the delegate has
no skills to complete the task.
Never treat your delegate as a
scapegoat, even if unsuccessful.
(Paauw, K., 2009)
How the Team will Lead and Control
In order to lead and bring action among team members that lead towards goals that have
been set there needs to be Instructions issued, and responsibilities assigned. A tem has to be
motivated and establish a two way communication as well as assisting subordinates. There has to
be a balance between Individual Motivation and Cooperative Efficiency and it has to be
maintained a well as obtaining a buy in which will lead to ensuring progress according to the
plan that is set out. In order to Control it has to be done where Progress is measured and there is
a conformance to a plan such as a schedule or budget, and corrective action has to be set in place.
Leadership Is Everyone’s job in order to create a productive, safe, and rewarding workplace.
(URS PM Certification Program, 2009) In order to have such an environment within the
workplace requires teamwork in team building activities. Content that supports and affirms
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social skills which will also require social behavior will help decrease destructive workplace
competition as well as isolation because without this productivity and morale can be undermined.
(Custom Training, 2009)
Conclusion
There are several ways to delegate effectively which can become a very sensitive issue if
one is not careful. There needs to be formalized agreement about goals and how delegation can
be enjoyable once it begins. Strengths and Weaknesses need to be considered within a
candidate’s talents, schedule, and specialization. Some key ingredients to look for in a candidate
is to make sure you delegate someone who can successfully complete a task are skills, resources,
experience, time, and willingness. You don’t want to give someone an assignment that is way
below their skill level so reviewing the lowest common denominator is a good idea. You must
use delegation as a tool which is both interesting and one that adds drudgery in a balanced
manner. A delegation is an opportunity for each and every candidate to grow and expand their
skills and allows the Manager to get their mental chores completed. A delegation Log needs to
be kept in order to keep information on when you handed a job over to certain candidates and
who. A log needs to be kept so the Manager can keep up with when each delegation is due and
what projects were given to whom. (Creel, R., 2009)
No human is error free, be sure to write it down and keep a log. Let your team know
when you want it back by providing deadlines for the assignment. Breaking the assignment up
into chunks allows milestones to be created or sub deadlines and this makes it much easier for
the candidate to handle. There also needs to be follow-up points that will be a continuing process
throughout the project. Having team members check in on a regular basis by asking them to
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The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self restraint enough to keep from meddling with
them while they do it. -Theodore Roosevelt-
13UNIT 4 GROUP PROJECT CONTRIBUTION
report their progress allows room for discussion on problems and any resources they may need. It
also allows room for adjustments to the project assigned. A goal must be agreed upon which
leaves guessing out of the picture. A good Manager will communicate what results they want
prior to giving candidates the assignment. Remember the entire point of delegation is to save
time. You also have to allow each candidate freedom by letting them loose and not micro-
managing them. And once all of this is accomplished and assignments are turned in give each
candidate a pat on the back and give credit where it’s due. By doing this it causes your
candidates to work harder for you in the future. Successful Planning, Organization, Leading and
Control will develop an excellent outcome, and entrusts authority, power, and responsibility to
another person. (Creel, R., 2009)
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References
Web Page:
Lannon, Richard "12 Rules of Delegation." 12 Rules of Delegation. 15 Jan. 2008.
EzineArticles.com. 9 Feb 2009 from,
http://ezinearticles.com/?12-Rules-of-Delegation&id=929851
Web Page Encyclopedia:
Camp, R., (2007) “Delegation” Referenceforbusiness.com 9 Feb. 2009 Revised by
Simmering, M., (2007) from,
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/De-Ele/Delegation.html
Web Page:
Paauw, K., (2009) Delegation Checklist retrieved on February 15th, 2009 at
OnlineOrganizing.com from
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdviceToolboxTips.asp?tipsheet=18
Online College Course:
URS PM Certification Program, (2009) Basic Principles of Project Management
retrieved on February 15th, 2009 at http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:mkmJ-
_KvV-UJ:www.training.urscorp.com/project_management/pm_webseminars/
pm1089_basic/BasicPrinciples.pdf+Delegation+plan,+organize,+control,
+and+lead&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=13&gl=us
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Online Business Training:
Custom Training, (2009) Internal and General Services retrieved on February 15th, 2009
at http://www.trainersandteachers.com/internal_general_services.php
Web Page:
Roosevelt, T., (2009) Quotes about Delegation retrieved on February 15th, 2009 at
http://chatna.com/theme/delegation.htm
Newsletter/Newspaper Articles:
Creel, R., (2009) 10 Ways to Delegate More effectively retrieved on February 15th, 2009
At http://www.onlineorganizing.com/NewslettersArticle.asp?
newsletter=go&article=260
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