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Delegating responsibility is a core function of any leadership role. Yet many times, people at all levels of an organization will find themselves with “the Monkey” back on their desk. Below we discuss the following aspects of delegating responsibility, and keeping it delegated:
- Different types of “Manager Time”
- Why Managers end up “buying-back” responsibility for certain tasks
- How to keep responsibility delegated.
Source:
Oncken, William, and Donald L. Wass. “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?” Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1974, Reprinted and updated in HBR: Nov-Dec 1999
Types of Manager Time
When delegating responsibility Managers need to ensure they fully understand the three kinds of management time:
- Boss-imposed time – used to accomplish those things that are important to his or her boss
- System-imposed time – used to accommodate requests from peers for active support.
- Self-imposed time – used to do those things the manager originates or wants to do. Self-imposed time, can further be divided:
- Subordinate-imposed time – This is time well spent when it is coaching and leading others. However, a manager needs to minimize the time she spends solving her subordinates problems for them.
- Discretionary time – the time that is the manager’s own.
Managers have enough of their own boss-imposed and system imposed time without taking on more subordinate imposed time that comes about by not properly delegating responsibility.
Inadvertently De-Delegating Responsibility
- Your direct report brings a problem to you that you know enough about to discuss, but not enough to make a decision on the spot.
- The boss tells the direct report, she will get back to him.
- The delegation of responsibility has just been reversed.
- The manager ends up with more to do, while the direct report ends up with less responsibility.
Delegating Responsibility and Keeping it Delegated
- Provide Support Without Removing Responsibility.
- Regularly scheduled One on Ones with all direct reports
- Use the Wily Manager Coaching Model.
- Lead With Questions.
The Care and Feeding of Monkeys
Following Oncken and Wass’s analogy of the Monkey jumping from the subordinates back onto the boss’s, here are five rules for delegating responsibility:
- Monkeys should be fed or shot. Do not allow them to linger on your back for any length of time
- The monkey population needs to be kept below the maximum the manager has time to feed.
- Monkeys should be fed by appointment only. The responsibility for a the completion of a delegated task needs to be left with the person to whom it was delegated
- Monkeys should be fed face to face or by telephone. Regular one on one meetings are very effective.
- Every monkey should have an assigned feeding time. Delegated tasks need to be monitored regularly.
3 Things to Remember about Delegating Responsibility
- It’s not your job to do their job.
- Be vigilante about the Monkeys whereabouts.
- Helping with an employees Monkeys is best done during a one with one.
Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Delegating Responsibility (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):
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