STOP BEING A LITTLE RED HEN . . .

and Learn to Delegate

Effectively!

Fran Butterfoss, PhD

Coalitions Work

You remember

the Little

Golden Book based

on a Russian folk tale …

. . . none of them

volunteer !

The little red hen finds a grain of wheat . . .

. . . she asks the farmyard animals to

help her plant It . . .

Again and again,

the hen asks for help …

. . . to harvest the

wheat

. . . to mill it into flour

. . . to bake the flour into

bread

But they said . . .

Not I !

Not I !

Not I !

Finally, the hen completes her

tasks . . .

“Who will help

me eat the

bread?”, she asks?

They all said . . .

I Will !

I Will !

I Will !

But she said . . . No!

You didn’t help me when I asked you.

So, I shall eat it myself.

And she did!

The moral of the story?

Those who show no willingness to contribute to a product do not deserve to

share it

So, the question is, as a coalition leader . .

.

Are You a Little Red Hen?

Do you take on work to make sure it gets done. . .

. . . and end up feeling stressed or overwhelmed ?

But then, as hard as you work . . .

. . . do people expect more & more from you?

As a result, do you neglect other important work . . .

. . . Which makes you feel that you’re letting your members or your community down?

In other words . . .

. . . do you feel that no matter how hard you work, there’s always more to do?

Then , perhaps it’s time to stop being the little red hen …

. . . and get others to help your coalition ororganization reach its goals

The art of entrusting tasks or responsibilities to others

Delegation

Delegation

Allows you to work on high priority tasks

Empowers others to work on meaningful, stimulating tasks

When is Delegation Appropriate?

It provides a growth opportunity or builds another’s skills

The task is one that someone other than you can do

When is Delegation Appropriate?

It’s a recurring task

You have the time to train, support, check progress & rework, if needed

Who Do You Delegate To?

One who has the knowledge, skills and experience for the delegated task

One who has the level of independence, goals and interests for the proposed task

Who Do You Delegate To?

One whose other responsibilities will not be affected by this delegated task

One who has space in his/her current workload to do it

Delegate Effectively

#1 Emphasize Results

Focus on what is accomplished

Allow people to control their own methods to build trust

Delegate Effectively

#2 Identify Constraints and Boundaries

Discuss the lines of authority, responsibilityand accountability?

Delegate Effectively

Empower them to decide what tasks are to be delegated to them and when

#3 Include People in the Delegation Process

Delegate Effectively

#4 Match the Amount of Responsibility with the Amount of Authority

Don’t delegate away ultimate accountability

Delegate Effectively

• Practice ongoing communication and monitoring

• Provide resources and credit

#5 Provide Adequate Support

Delegate Effectively

Don’t let responsibility for the task shift back to you

#6 Avoid “upward delegation”

Discuss how success will impact financial rewards, future opportunities, and other desired benefits

Provide recognition when deserved

#7 Build Motivation and Commitment

Delegate Effectively

Delegate Effectively

Provide a timeline and deadlines

Agree on schedule of checkpoints for reviewing progress

#8 Establish and Maintain Control

If You Delegate Well . . .

• You will build a strong, successful team• You will build a coalition that achieves results

and

• You will no longer have to be the little red hen

Mind Tools. (2014). Successful Delgation. http://bit.ly/YqHYdT