According to Bateman & Snell (2003), "delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to a subordinate at a lower level." (p. 250). There are ways that my organization can use delegation to become more effective in the four functions of management which are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. An organization that uses the four functions of management with delegation can be very successful. There are also skills necessary for effective delegation. Some skills include realizing the important distinctions between responsibility, authority, and accountability.
According to Bateman & Snell (2003), effective delegation, "requires that the subordinate report back to his or her boss in regard to how effectively the assignment was carried out." (p. 250). The subordinate may have suggestions on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the particular job. One skill that is necessary for effective delegation is being comfortable delegating to subordinates. If a person is comfortable delegating to a subordinate that means the manager will trust the subordinate to do a job without explaining every detail of that job. For example, in my organization my manager will tell subordinates how many parts need to be ready to ship by the end of the day or week. The manager does not have to tell the subordinates details on how to reach that goal. The manager trusts the subordinates with the responsibility to get the job done correctly and on time.
"Responsibility means that a person is assigned a task that he or she is supposed to carry out." (Bateman & Snell, 2003, p. 250) A responsible person will carry out the assignment and ...