Delegation

When Alfred P Sloan of the Ford Motor Company said “The most important thing I ever learned about management is that the work must be done by other men”, he did not mean managers or leaders would just sit and watch from the sidelines (or that they should all be men). He was really saying that delegation is an essential and powerful tool for leaders in ensuring capacity is built to run something as complicated as a motor company. Change leadership of a school evolving with technology is no less complicated a task.

Once you have defined clear roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder in your school community you are able to define what measurable minimum achievement you hold them accountable for. As a leader you have to delegate the responsibility to the relevant stakeholders and support them in that role until you feel they have grown their management and leadership skills to such an extent they can operate independently. It is a supported learning process of growing leaders and building capacity.

The process of strategising to build capacity in your school and achieve success in your school as a change leader therefore depends, to a large extent, on your ability to properly delegate responsibility.

1. Your tutor will assign you a partner with whom you will conduct a mock delegation meeting.
2. Decide on a way in which you will conduct this meeting in real time. You could use the telephone, instant messaging, video conferencing or any other means upon which you agree.
3. Open the Delegation Meeting Template to plan the meeting. Note the key elements of the meeting:
   • Clear description of responsibility
   • The authority level being assigned
   • A discussion on the measures for success
   • Clarity about supporting resources
   • A statement of commitment
   • Concrete steps to be taken
   • Discussion of timelines for periodic reporting

Assessment

Use this checklist to assess your and your partner’s performance during the delegation interview.

	The delegation meeting
1	The “principal” made clear the responsibility and minimum requirements.
2	You were both able to maintain a positive and communicative meeting.
3	The “stakeholder” was able to explain how he/she would commit to the responsibility.
4	You were convincing in your different roles (you took the role play seriously)