Published on Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
As a rule, delegation always moves downwards! Reams have been written on how proper delegation is essential for maintaining an effective workflow without any bottlenecks. It also helps subordinates learn new skills and provides opportunities for future growth.
But, during some unavoidable circumstances, employees may need to delegate work upwards. This unusual scenario can come into play when a subordinate requires assistance, needs further authority or is faced with political barriers. Instead of wasting time on such activities, it is best to move them back up in the chain of command. Such as, reverse delegation can travel from employee to manager, manager to department head, department head to administration, administration to executive and so on.
Delegating upwards may become necessary, but this does not give any subordinate the ‘authority’ to delegate work to his superior. Such an uncharacteristic request goes against the grain and the boss may just be caught off guard, already have a full workload or even totally shun the abnormal idea. Whatever the reason, chances of the boss saying ‘no’ run high and clumsily pushing the task back on him or demanding him to take it over will further mess up the issue.
'Passing the buck…'
Upward delegation is an art, which calls for subtle manoeuvring so that the superior does not misunderstand your intentions.
Friendly persuasion with assertive reasoning can get things done that a frenetic shoving or pressurising never can. Instead of rushing in with hamstring complaints, provide a logical rationale that taps into his values, aspirations and motivations. For example, you can credibly contend that the end result will show the boss/department in a good light or will be in the best interests of organisational success.
Here are a few tips on how to overcome the potential resistance in instances like:
• When your position does not lend you the scope of authority or decision-making range to get a particular task done, passing it back up the line becomes a necessity. Take it back to your manager in a timely manner and explain to him that the work needs authority above a certain level or tell him that you need an extra boost of power to back you up!
• If you do not have the resources to do a job or are tangled in red tape, go to the boss for advice on how to resolve the situation. Appeal to him to use his ‘higher up’ clout in overcoming the political barriers.
• When you are heaving under a heavy workload and find it difficult to cope with some tough tasks, do not blast off a harangue of your stress. Try to cut back on some work by explaining how it is affecting your productivity and efficiency. You can offer, “I don’t have the time I need to work on this and complete all my other responsibilities. I am concerned that this will affect the way our department is perceived, so I’d like to pass some things back to you on this occasion”. Or, seek ideas on how you can reprioritise the tasks to get space to complete other responsibilities as well.
• If a deadline is looming, sincerely apologise for the delay and plead with the boss for help or ask him to assign a colleague to assist you.
When a task is beyond your limited skills, gracefully request him to assist/advise you with his expert insight and knowledge. But, beware as this can cast you in an incompetent light and undermine your abilities. So, instead of taking the easy way out and getting the boss to take over the task, be resourceful and propose some solutions even while asking suggestions on how to handle the problem. You can say something like, “I need your support with this project and would like you to show me how to…” This will augment your own skills and give you a sustainable advantage – one that enables you to easily perform such tasks on your own the next time round.
Therefore, the key to delegating upward successfully is to articulate a reasonable and coherent explanation of your needs and shortcomings. To surmount possible objections, keep your anger and frustration in check and engage a calm and clear discussion. Be willing to negotiate and take over other tasks to return the favour or just reduce the superior’s work pressure. Consider any counterproposals or tips instead of merely trying to offload the responsibility.
Also, remember that the boss is not there to always step in and take over your work. Do not turn to him to solve every problem that you encounter with an, ‘I just can’t do this…’ You will be refused more often as bosses are more open to accepting work from resourceful and credible workers!
So, whatever you do, never attempt to shirk work, get rid of burdensome tasks or dodge your responsibilities by kicking them back to the manager’s plate.
As management consultant and author, Don Blohowiak, says, “When a worker consistently delegates upward, he falls into ‘learned helplessness’!”
But, during some unavoidable circumstances, employees may need to delegate work upwards. This unusual scenario can come into play when a subordinate requires assistance, needs further authority or is faced with political barriers. Instead of wasting time on such activities, it is best to move them back up in the chain of command. Such as, reverse delegation can travel from employee to manager, manager to department head, department head to administration, administration to executive and so on.
Delegating upwards may become necessary, but this does not give any subordinate the ‘authority’ to delegate work to his superior. Such an uncharacteristic request goes against the grain and the boss may just be caught off guard, already have a full workload or even totally shun the abnormal idea. Whatever the reason, chances of the boss saying ‘no’ run high and clumsily pushing the task back on him or demanding him to take it over will further mess up the issue.
'Passing the buck…'
Upward delegation is an art, which calls for subtle manoeuvring so that the superior does not misunderstand your intentions.
Friendly persuasion with assertive reasoning can get things done that a frenetic shoving or pressurising never can. Instead of rushing in with hamstring complaints, provide a logical rationale that taps into his values, aspirations and motivations. For example, you can credibly contend that the end result will show the boss/department in a good light or will be in the best interests of organisational success.
Here are a few tips on how to overcome the potential resistance in instances like:
• When your position does not lend you the scope of authority or decision-making range to get a particular task done, passing it back up the line becomes a necessity. Take it back to your manager in a timely manner and explain to him that the work needs authority above a certain level or tell him that you need an extra boost of power to back you up!
• If you do not have the resources to do a job or are tangled in red tape, go to the boss for advice on how to resolve the situation. Appeal to him to use his ‘higher up’ clout in overcoming the political barriers.
• When you are heaving under a heavy workload and find it difficult to cope with some tough tasks, do not blast off a harangue of your stress. Try to cut back on some work by explaining how it is affecting your productivity and efficiency. You can offer, “I don’t have the time I need to work on this and complete all my other responsibilities. I am concerned that this will affect the way our department is perceived, so I’d like to pass some things back to you on this occasion”. Or, seek ideas on how you can reprioritise the tasks to get space to complete other responsibilities as well.
• If a deadline is looming, sincerely apologise for the delay and plead with the boss for help or ask him to assign a colleague to assist you.
When a task is beyond your limited skills, gracefully request him to assist/advise you with his expert insight and knowledge. But, beware as this can cast you in an incompetent light and undermine your abilities. So, instead of taking the easy way out and getting the boss to take over the task, be resourceful and propose some solutions even while asking suggestions on how to handle the problem. You can say something like, “I need your support with this project and would like you to show me how to…” This will augment your own skills and give you a sustainable advantage – one that enables you to easily perform such tasks on your own the next time round.
Therefore, the key to delegating upward successfully is to articulate a reasonable and coherent explanation of your needs and shortcomings. To surmount possible objections, keep your anger and frustration in check and engage a calm and clear discussion. Be willing to negotiate and take over other tasks to return the favour or just reduce the superior’s work pressure. Consider any counterproposals or tips instead of merely trying to offload the responsibility.
Also, remember that the boss is not there to always step in and take over your work. Do not turn to him to solve every problem that you encounter with an, ‘I just can’t do this…’ You will be refused more often as bosses are more open to accepting work from resourceful and credible workers!
So, whatever you do, never attempt to shirk work, get rid of burdensome tasks or dodge your responsibilities by kicking them back to the manager’s plate.
As management consultant and author, Don Blohowiak, says, “When a worker consistently delegates upward, he falls into ‘learned helplessness’!”
PAYAL CHANANIA
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