Delegating and Empowering

1. Delegating and Empowering Objectives At the completion of this module, participants will be able to: • Determine elements of an empowering work environment. • Identify steps for successful delegation. • Recognize the importance of work climate and trust when delegating tasks. • Recognize manager characteristics that increase the success of delegation. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 1

2. Delegating and Empowering Definitions Delegation– a way to accomplish job tasks with each person taking a part of the work and responsibility which best uses and extends her skills. Empowerment– creation of a work environment which allows each individual to work to her highest capacity. An empowered workplace is a safe climate for people to work together with freedom to take initiative, to create, to solve problems, and to assume the responsibility of completing the task. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 2

3. Delegating and Empowering Definitions Integrity– others know to expect honest, direct interactions because the individual has predictable competence, commitment, and follow-through. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 3

4. Delegating and Empowering Personal Check-In: Delegation Assessment Think back to a task you delegated recently and consider the following questions: • What was the task? • Were you satisfied with the results achieved? • What did you do or say as you made this assignment? • What did you do that worked or did not work? • What would you do differently next time? Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 4

5. Delegating and Empowering Icebreaker: Empowering Workplace Characteristics • In small groups, create a shopping list of all the qualities found in an empowering work environment. • Share with the large group and look for common responses that the group believes are most significant. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 5

6. Delegating and Empowering Empowerment People who establish strong interpersonal relationships: • Believe the best of others. • Treat others with respect. • Act consistently with loyalty, honesty and integrity. • Communicate clearly. • Seek ideas from and listen carefully to others. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 6

7. Delegating and Empowering Why Delegate? Here are a few good reasons to delegate: • To build individual confidence and increase motivation. • To share the power and responsibility. • To provide growth experiences and to model the value of skill development. • To create a sense of importance and belonging for the employee. • To encourage independence, initiative, and creative problem solving. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 7

8. Delegating and Empowering Skills and Jobs: Making the Match The three key processes for delegation are: • Identify the skills of the individual. • Clearly define the tasks to be completed. • Obtain feedback from individual to confirm accurate assessment of skills. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 8

9. Delegating and Empowering Skills and Jobs: Making the Match To check for a match between skills and jobs, consider the following: • The individual’s abilities to do the job. • The importance of the job and timeline needed. • The consequences of success and failure. • The relationships with others who are involved. • Commitment and loyalty of the individual. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 9

10. Delegating and Empowering Skills and Jobs: Making the Match Before you delegate, ask: • Is the individual capable of doing the job? • Will she be committed to it and take it seriously? • How important is this task to the total operation’s success? • Is the timeline reasonable? Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 10

11. Delegating and Empowering Steps for Successful Delegation Establish desired results. • Clearly describe the results you want. • Explain how the results fit into the team’s or organization’s big picture. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 11

12. Delegating and Empowering Steps for Successful Delegation Identify guidelines and deadlines for accomplishing the results. • Together establish the boundaries and limitations of the work. • State and agree upon the benchmark, checkpoints, and deadlines that will ensure successful accomplishment. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 12

13. Delegating and Empowering Steps for Successful Delegation Define accountabilities and standards to measure accomplishment. • Be sure to give the individual the authority to complete the task. • Secure commitment from the individual; ask directly for it. • Specify chain of command for problem solving. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 13

14. Delegating and Empowering Steps for Successful Delegation List resources needed for successful completion of results. • Who are the people who will be helping? • What supplies or tools are needed? • What outside people need to be notified that this individual will be taking on this job? • Identify any financial or budget impact. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 14

15. Delegating and Empowering Steps for Successful Delegation Determine consequences of achieving or not achieving the results. • Be specific in detailing what success or failure will look like. • What will be the impact of success in this task for the team, organization, and individual? • What will be the impact of failure in this task for the team, organization, and individual? Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 15

16. Delegating and Empowering Reality Practice: Case Study Cal has been promoted to manager of the Middle School and the High School. The schools share the same campus but operate independent kitchens serving over 1,200 meals per day. He cannot be in both kitchens at the same time. He must delegate effectively to manage both operations. For each task listed below, identify the steps he must take for successful delegation. Task #1 Potato Bar is offered once a month at the Middle School. Customers have requested that the potato bar be offered once a week with different toppings each week. Cal has completed a customer survey and determined the types of toppings the customers prefer. However, he does not have time to implement the changes. What steps does he need to follow for successful delegation? Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 16

17. Delegating and Empowering Reality Practice: Case Study Task # 2 Food deliveries often come when Cal is busy with other duties. In order to meet the district policy for receiving, all items must be inspected and checked off prior to signing the invoice. Cal has identified a responsible employee who shows interest in management training. What steps does he need to follow for successful delegation? Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 17

18. Delegating and Empowering Checking Out: Delegation Preparation Worksheet • Describe a task you want to delegate. • List the skills and abilities of the individual to whom you may delegate. • Draft the desired results you want. • Identify any known guidelines or deadlines. • List resources you believe the individual may need. • List the consequences of not achieving this task. • List the consequences of achieving this task. Building Human Resource Management Skills National Food Service Management Institute 18