Delegation & Empowerment Flashcards

What are the key principles of effective delegation?

Answer: Match tasks to skills, provide clear expectations, grant authority, and maintain accountability

Effective delegation involves selecting the right person for the task, clearly communicating expectations, granting sufficient authority to complete it, and establishing accountability checkpoints.

What is the difference between delegation and abdication?

Answer: Delegation maintains oversight and support; abdication abandons responsibility entirely

Delegation transfers task execution while the leader maintains oversight and remains accountable. Abdication involves abandoning all responsibility and follow-up.

Why is micromanagement detrimental to team performance?

Answer: It undermines trust, stifles creativity, and reduces team members' sense of ownership

Micromanagement signals distrust, prevents team members from developing skills, reduces motivation and creativity, and creates bottlenecks as everything flows through the leader.

What is empowerment in the context of team leadership?

Answer: Giving team members the authority, resources, and confidence to make decisions and take action

Empowerment involves providing team members with the autonomy, information, resources, and confidence to make decisions within defined boundaries, increasing engagement and ownership.

How should a team leader determine which tasks to delegate?

Answer: Delegate tasks that develop team members' skills and that don't require the leader's unique expertise

Leaders should delegate tasks that provide growth opportunities for team members, routine tasks that don't require the leader's unique skills, and tasks that are time-consuming but important.

What is the situational leadership model and how does it apply to delegation?

Answer: Adjusting leadership style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) based on the team member's competence and commitment

Situational leadership (Hersey and Blanchard) matches leadership style to follower readiness: directing for low competence, coaching for growing competence, supporting for high competence/low confidence, and delegating for high competence/high commitment.