How does delegation motivate employees

There are many big companies noted for the change they made to the pay-for-performance style of motivating employees to work harder or to increase their effectiveness.

The improvements definitely showed money, as an incentive, does work to improve worker performance. The second lever is the drive to bond with others in the company or office. An organization or company that is willing to break the old ways of management and be open to more informal and unleveled meetings and discussions, communicating directly -- as opposed to having to go through the chain of command -- is another pointed activity that has proven to bring about positive behavioral changes in companies.

The brain responds when each person is treated with equal respect. To have an employee go through another employee of the company, even if that person is in charge of his area, in order to relay a concern to someone further up, destroys -- rather than fosters -- a person's feelings of belonging or bonding.

When the rules and the egos of those in charge become the basis for the system, then people will not be motivated to do their best, or stay with the company, when another job comes along.

Understanding that people need to feel a commitment to them, as well as from them, is essential. Knowing that most workers just need to know that everyone is on the same side, will keep your most talented and creative from defecting. If, as a company, you spend the time to hire great workers, then it only makes sense that you will spend the time to motivate them to stay with you. If not your company is spinning its wheels.

A basic human need is to feel worthy, to feel liked, and to feel appreciated. If, as a manager, you continually up the sales percentages required for earning commissions, your people will be looking around to find a company that continually rewards their hard work. If, as a manager, you cannot find a way to spend some informal face time with your staff, you will find the gap between your desk and theirs expanding. To create a bond between employee and the company takes work, but again, for those companies that have made the effort to connect and level the field, it has paid off in terms of better production and increased sales.

The third level is referred to as the need to comprehend. Many times in our work, we are given tasks, instructions, and projects that we do not see the point in doing. Possibly we tell ourselves that surely someone higher up knows what they are doing and what we are about and it must be trusted. That line of thinking will work only so long. If this happens over and over, a staff member will lose any feeling of connection with his company. The work will suffer, because, admittedly, if the boss doesn't care enough to engage the staff to understand, then the staff will not care enough to do good work for him.

Comprehending is understanding how things work, why things work, and who is in place keeping that work going. So often a company or a manager wrongly thinks that any employee who does work in one place has no need to understand work being done in another. If an employee is made to see how a company is run, managed, and how the systems work together, he will recognize that what he does, makes a difference and if affects the whole.

It simply takes a leader to open up and make it happen. Running a ship so tight that no one is allowed to consider what else is happening outside of his area, or made to feel as though he should just keep his head down and do what he is told, will eventually lose staff effectiveness. It also will not make a management team strong. People in a company, no matter at which level, should comprehend that everyone there is basically a team that works together for the good of all.

A company that is making changes must open itself up to how those changes will take place so everyone knows where they stand and how they will be affected. When people in an organization is seeing little things change they are left wondering what is happening.

When managers are juggling priorities at the same time, they are more likely to make mistakes. Delegating tasks to the right individuals is important in this case since it allows managers and leaders to focus on planning and organizing. It builds trust, open communication, and engagement among team members.

Another benefit of delegation has to do with building trust , a feeling of openness, and engagement among team members. Leaders who fail to delegate adequately often have employees who are afraid to take initiative or who feel apprehensive about bringing new ideas to the table.

Managers who delegate tasks adequately help to build trust, and that trust is driven even further when those managers remain open for communication and listening.

When employees truly feel that their skills and talents are being put to good use, they are engaged and happier overall. It stimulates creativity and develops skills in your team. How can one feel in control and still empower employees to act independently? Monitor progress. Pay attention and maintain control of the situation.

Managers are still responsible for the success or failure of this person and for achieving the desired results. Provide feedback. Stay in touch, giving plenty of positive reinforcement and coaching when needed.

Identify the lessons learned. What did the employee learn? What did you learn? Often, the person with the new responsibility will figure out better ways to get things done and such improvements need to be identified, documented and shared. Evaluate performance. Give the person helpful feedback. What did they do well? Where can they improve? How can the results be improved? How can the manager do a better job of helping them succeed? Communicating Delegation.

Meet face to face without time pressure. This is very important communication, and face-to-face interaction is the approach most likely to convey the message that this discussion is important. Make arrangements so that you are not interrupted. Explain why the person was selected for the assignment and what results need to be achieved. Remember, you are assigning responsibility for producing outcomes—not just performing tasks.

Encourage the other to ask questions. This needs to be a dialogue, not a monologue. Be sure to agree about timing and the control process by the end of the discussion. This is a common failure in delegation discussions. Do not, however, come across as testing them. Will you please tell me what you have heard so far?

What kind of power will the person need to accomplish the results? Inform whoever else needs to know that you have delegated this responsibility to ensure their cooperation with the employee.

Search Jobs. Request An Employee. Contact Us. So what are the main benefits of delegation? What other benefits do you see in delegation? Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on linkedin LinkedIn.