Why Dont Managers Delegate

Why Don’t Managers Delegate

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Why Don’t Managers Delegate

In any organization the role of a manager is crucial (Zaleznik, 1977). This is because a manager is not only responsible for controlling an organization but also for administering an organization or group of staff members in the organization. In organizations, it has been observed that managers are not willing to delegate due to several reasons such as lack of confidence and losing control etc (Gallo, 2012). However, the main reason why managers do not delegate is because of lack of time. Typically, managers perceive that they do not have enough time and resources to explain any specific task or to teach the team members regarding specific skills required to complete the delegated task. Although, it is very well-known that the main goal of delegation is to save time yet still managers often become overwhelmed with the task that they try to do everything by themselves to complete the task (Stroh, 2002). Managers can overcome this by preparing for delegating tasks before time. They may select an individual that can lead the team and then can assign the task equally to each member of a team as per their specialties so that they can perform the delegated task effectively within time.

While discussing about the employees, in many situations, employees are the ones who are not willing to be delegated. The main reason that employees do not want to be delegated is because of the fear of failure. When managers delegate task every team member wants to perform the task effectively and take credit for it (Iqbal, 2007). However, they are afraid that they will not be able to accomplish the delegated task and therefore do not want to be delegated. However, it is the responsibility of a manager to motivate and encourage the team while also monitoring their progress so that the delegated task can be completed effectively (Griffin, 2013).

While reflecting upon my experience, when I was working as an internee in a local company I found that many team members were against delegation because they fear that management will make them scapegoat and will blame them instead of accepting their faults. However, our manager arranged an individual session and then a meeting with the team to ensure that he will support us even if we fail to accomplish the task. This made the team motivated and we performed the delegated task effectively.

References

Gallo, A. (2012). Why aren’t you delegating. Harvard Business Review, 26.

Griffin, R. W. (2013). Fundamentals of management. Cengage Learning.

Iqbal, J. (2007). Why managers don’t delegate and how to get them do so. Journal of Managerial Sciences, 1(2), 57-73.

Stroh, E. (2002). Don't be afraid to delegate. Politeia, 21(2), 66-79.

Zaleznik, A. (1977). Managers and leaders: Are they different.