|
Vertical Delegation |
The process of delegation is not a new concept; it is one of the foundations of resource management and leadership and underpins the correct and efficient use of your team. The concept of 360 delegation is effectively delegating up the chain, to provide you and your team the environment to deliver high performance outcomes.
Rooted in human resource management, vertical delegation moves a step forward from 360 assessment. In assessment, an associate provides feedback to the leader, developing their growth mindset and allowing the leader to highlight their shortfalls or areas of weakness.
Rooted in human resource management, vertical delegation moves a step forward from 360 assessment. In assessment, an associate provides feedback to the leader, developing their growth mindset and allowing the leader to highlight their shortfalls or areas of weakness.
When delegating, there are a set of tools, or steps which must be followed to effectively delegate upwards:
The Why?
In teams and organisations, irrespective of sector, size or experience, everything must start with The Why? This describes the mission, or objective of the goal orientation and provides understanding to the key deliverables and outcomes; it provides the core belief behind why the team exists. What is the clear cognitive or emotional purpose of delegating upwards?
Establish Trust
In another insight article (link), we discuss the concept and differences between cognitive and affective trust. Both are required before vertical delegation can occur. Without affective trust, the leader may see the event as insubordination, or a challenge to their leadership position, this is covered in more depth in (Psychological Safety). Failure to have mutual cognitive trust provides the perfect storm for ineffective leadership to develop and fosters inefficient team cohesion. Ultimately, approaching vertical delegation without trust will create a toxic culture, impacting the performance of team overall.
Goal Setting
What are the key objectives you want to achieve, or what performance indicators (also called delegation milestones) are to be accomplished? Forget creating a SMART objective, this type of goal requires close liaison between the leader and the team to develop. The goal must be based in outcome, not output; taking a reversionary approach starting at the outcome, then working back to identify the initial goal is critical.
Script your Critical Moves
Prepare, decide and deliver a plan of not just the act of vertical delegation, but of how the outcome and goals will be managed. Forecast the enabling stages that will ensure the seamless transition to complete team and leadership integration. Small manageable events, using a gatekeeper if required for executive leaders, will provide initial success with which to carry momentum.
Smart Approach
If you have multiple leadership stakeholders within the team or organisation, identify the correct person to approach. Make sure you select the right people who have influence on your intended outcome. This must be based on an analytical assessment of your leader’s abilities, and acceptance potential.
Definition of Done
Clearly define, state and confirm the standards you expect from each leader you incorporate in your vertical delegation design. How will the stages towards the objective be managed? Adopting a project-based mindset, that requires a defined standard to be achieved within a specified time, will remove the potential for vertical delegation to become business as usual – it must be a singular event. Continual vertical delegation will create resentment from leadership, and mistrust from within the team.
The Why?
In teams and organisations, irrespective of sector, size or experience, everything must start with The Why? This describes the mission, or objective of the goal orientation and provides understanding to the key deliverables and outcomes; it provides the core belief behind why the team exists. What is the clear cognitive or emotional purpose of delegating upwards?
Establish Trust
In another insight article (link), we discuss the concept and differences between cognitive and affective trust. Both are required before vertical delegation can occur. Without affective trust, the leader may see the event as insubordination, or a challenge to their leadership position, this is covered in more depth in (Psychological Safety). Failure to have mutual cognitive trust provides the perfect storm for ineffective leadership to develop and fosters inefficient team cohesion. Ultimately, approaching vertical delegation without trust will create a toxic culture, impacting the performance of team overall.
Goal Setting
What are the key objectives you want to achieve, or what performance indicators (also called delegation milestones) are to be accomplished? Forget creating a SMART objective, this type of goal requires close liaison between the leader and the team to develop. The goal must be based in outcome, not output; taking a reversionary approach starting at the outcome, then working back to identify the initial goal is critical.
Script your Critical Moves
Prepare, decide and deliver a plan of not just the act of vertical delegation, but of how the outcome and goals will be managed. Forecast the enabling stages that will ensure the seamless transition to complete team and leadership integration. Small manageable events, using a gatekeeper if required for executive leaders, will provide initial success with which to carry momentum.
Smart Approach
If you have multiple leadership stakeholders within the team or organisation, identify the correct person to approach. Make sure you select the right people who have influence on your intended outcome. This must be based on an analytical assessment of your leader’s abilities, and acceptance potential.
Definition of Done
Clearly define, state and confirm the standards you expect from each leader you incorporate in your vertical delegation design. How will the stages towards the objective be managed? Adopting a project-based mindset, that requires a defined standard to be achieved within a specified time, will remove the potential for vertical delegation to become business as usual – it must be a singular event. Continual vertical delegation will create resentment from leadership, and mistrust from within the team.
Dysfunction
Dysfunctions that can occur when vertical delegation is approached, or conducted poorly can damage the team dynamic, including established relationships between team members, and the team-leader construct. We have covered cognitive and affective trust, however fear of productive conflict, loss of commitment and motivation, lack of accountability and poor results are all justifiable outcomes from poor attempts at vertical delegation.
Removing dysfunctions and issues that may arise from vertical delegation can be achieved by adopting the ATEC approach to define objectives, and strong communication techniques (The Communication Paradigm). The ATEC principle is covered more in detail in this article (ATEC Principle). Summarised, ATEC is what you should expect from a leader, or provide as a leader. Autonomy, timely decisions, effective development and strong cognitive trust will support your ability to either delegate upwards or understand and comprehend your teams attempt to delegate upwards to you.
Dysfunctions that can occur when vertical delegation is approached, or conducted poorly can damage the team dynamic, including established relationships between team members, and the team-leader construct. We have covered cognitive and affective trust, however fear of productive conflict, loss of commitment and motivation, lack of accountability and poor results are all justifiable outcomes from poor attempts at vertical delegation.
Removing dysfunctions and issues that may arise from vertical delegation can be achieved by adopting the ATEC approach to define objectives, and strong communication techniques (The Communication Paradigm). The ATEC principle is covered more in detail in this article (ATEC Principle). Summarised, ATEC is what you should expect from a leader, or provide as a leader. Autonomy, timely decisions, effective development and strong cognitive trust will support your ability to either delegate upwards or understand and comprehend your teams attempt to delegate upwards to you.