Is this your approach to delegation?

Delegation is a process

There is a shift in the balance of power that happens in managing and coaching. This is especially relevant if you choose to include a coaching component in your management approach. At first the coach manages the ‘the client’, the person being coached. The coach has power ‘over’ the client.  As the work progresses, the coach hands the power, sharing power with the client. As the client gains confidence the coach leaves the stage but remains in the wings. The coach has power ‘under’ the client.

The shift of power may be compared and contrasted with the development of a client in a counselling relationship as described by David Richo. First the client looks to counsellor to mirror his experiences by appreciation and patience. Then the client idealises the therapist as someone to look up to, someone with all the answers. Finally in the ‘Twinship’ phase the client realises they have to learnt what they came to learn.

Paul Hersey’s Situational Leadership process describes a way to lead a client through the shift of power.  He plotted the ‘amount of structure’ a manager gives a subordinate against the ‘closeness of relationship’ He then described growth in terms of a passage through four quadrants.

This may be shown in the following way:

Actually, the Situational Leadership model reads from right to left.  The authors used the conventional structure for the x-axis (which they call ‘task behaviour’) with low on the left and high on the right.  They call the quadrants ‘Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating’.

Delegation Quadrant 1 – Delegation by telling – Make it explicit

The person being coached asks “How do I do it?” They really don’t know!  The coach responds “Here’s how” The input they give is low on relationship and high on structure.  The coach does not find out how they feel about it, just whether they understand the way to do it.  In a managerial relationship the manager explains:

• How it should be done.
• What it will look like when complete.
• When it should be handed in.
• The consequences of success or failure.

The coach does this for each new task, or when a task is more complicated and the client needs reminding. As the client grows in their understanding, they prepare to enter into the second quadrant. They begin to ask questions about the context of the task and the reasons for some of the steps.  The coach may lead the client into the quadrant by pointing out tasks they have done before and asking them how they would go about it.

Delegation Quadrant 2:  Delegation by asking – Offer support and tools

The coach asks the client task relevant questions. The coach still structures their input around the task.  But instead of telling the client how to do the task, they ask open questions. Typical questions may be “Where have you seen this before?” and “OK so what is your plan this time?”

As the client becomes more proficient they become less interested in task-relevant support. They prepare to enter the third delegation quadrant.

Delegation Quadrant 3:  Delegation by answering – recognition and trust

The client revels in the complexity of the task. They look up now and again to be sure the door is still open to go back for information and affirmation. The ask questions about context, relationships and impact.

This phase requires courage, patience and wisdom from the coach. The coach monitors performance measures and feedback from the client environment. They steer the client through responding to questions. When the client does not ask questions they may have slipped back into the previous quadrant or grown into the next.

Delegation Quadrant 4:  Power Under – Delegation by letting go

The client knows the ropes. They do tasks without input from the coach. They feel confident enough to ask for help where required, from the coach or anyone else.  The client may not respond positively to feedback from the coach. Even positive feedback!

When they share about how they are dealing with a situations it is as a peer and perhaps out of  politeness.  They will not feel inclined to give details and may seem impatient, even annoyed, when prompted for feedback.  Part of letting go as a coach is realising that the client may not even respond positively when told they have reached this level of maturity.

The work of the coach is done.  At least in the relevant area.  There may be different areas in different phases of development.  However, at this stage the coach may begin to withdraw from the coaching relationship.

Notes to implementing this delegation model

Dealing with the client in the wrong quadrant can be disorientating and frustrating for both parties.  We may have a tendency to leave out quadrants.

Choose to give the structure required. Some managers only ever explain everything in great detail. Other managers could not explain how to do a job if their lives depended on it. Develop the skill and the wisdom to know where to use it.

Choose to embrace the broad spectrum of relationship.  Some managers don’t know how to get close to staff and others don’t know how to leave their charges to get on with the job.  We have a tendency to stick to one level of relationship either low or high.  This can limit the effectiveness of our delegation ability.

• If we stay in high relationship we do not give structured, low, relationship input when it is required.  In a team situation this may mean that the staff do not learn the process.  And when they are ready they are not left to manage their own delivery.  They may experience this as a lack of trust. It can be disempowering.  In the Sociability vs Dominance model*, Amiables and Expressives may, without reflection, adopt this approach to leadership.
• Worse still, if we choose to keep the relationship low, we deprive our staff of the opportunity to test their skills in a nurturing environment.  This is typical of the manager who says “I’ve told you how to do it, now you are on your own.”  Or “you can only make the same mistake once (kapow!)”.    In the Sociability vs Dominance model*, Drivers and Analyticals may, without reflection, adopt this approach to leadership.

Empowerment is taken.  Sure, the leader can offer the responsibility and accountability.  But until the client or staff member takes it up, it lies on the table.  This model may help you to gauge the level to which your client is taking on the responsibility and freedom of accountability.

Delegation works in both directions.  Just as you may use this model to delegate to your staff, you can also use the same structure as you manage your relationship with those above you in a hierarchy.  With a new boss, or one who does not trust you (yet) you can share rich information about how you are working, what the result will look like and how long it will take.  Then, to grow the trust between you into the next quadrant, instead of telling your boss how you will be working, you can confirm with her that you are going to follow the same procedure and ask her if she sees it the same way.  This will be a good time to confirm your Lead Measures.  This can be done quite simply and subtly.  In quadrant three you can report on the agreed metrics and targets.  You can discuss how well your Lead Measures are predicting success and you can field questions about how you are doing.   And of course in the fourth quadrant you will forge ahead, reporting only against your agreed outcomes or Lag Measures.

 Therefore look around. 

Who are you working with? 

Which quadrant are they in? 

How best should you work with them there?

How is your delegation skill?

*Let’s not get into what happens when we categorise the whole of humanity in a two by two matrix.  There are well-known disclaimers about these models pointing to tendencies and preferences.  In real life however we often forget this and deal with people purely on the basis of the category within which we place them.  James Flaherty has written about this and has produced a suite of assessment and categorisation tools that take more consideration to apply.   This may be a useful post and I will connect to this note when I write about it.