successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

From your experience of running a project, why is it that sometimes managers do not
delegate? Examine these and decide whether they are in agreement with what you
came up with.
• unable or unwilling to let go;
• lack of faith in the member’s abilities;
• lack of confidence in yourself as project manager;
• fear that a team member will perform better than you;
• believing that it is faster to do the task yourself;
• need to be liked by team members;
• creating the impression that you work harder;
• enjoying the job; and
• working with difficult subordinates.
Once you become aware why project managers do sometimes not delegate, it is
important that you closely analyse each of the foregoing reasons, then try to how to
overcome the constraints that hinder delegation. To ensure that delegation
succeeds, try to follow these guidelines:
• Plan your delegation well in advance and delegate early.
• After deciding to whom you want to delegate a task, plan how you are going
to delegate.
• Ensure that the team member to whom you are delegating a task
understands exactly what you expect of them.
• Gain the person’s agreement and commitment to the task to be delegated.
• Be prepared to invest time in the early stage to demonstrate and coach the
person.
Do you agree with the five suggestions cited above?
Yes
No
Whether your answer is negative or positive, work on this activity.
?? Activity
It has been said that delegation crowns the process of developing people, and that it
is the seal of recognition, respect, and trust. Suggest four reasons why you either
agree or disagree with this observation. The foregoing ideas are supportive of project
control, and being mindful of them and applying them more consciously will go a long
way towards helping the project manager to establish the success level of a given
project. One more word about delegation! Certain tasks should not be delegated, and
these are:
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