Running head: EFFECTIVE DELEGATION

An Instance of Effective Delegation in the Work Setting

Kaylee Blankenship
California State University, Stanislaus

EFFECTIVE DELEGATION

An Instance of Effective Delegation in the Work Setting

Delegation is an important part of every profession. Having the skills and knowledge
necessary to professionally and accurately delegate tasks is a key component in becoming a great
leader or manager. In the nursing profession, in particular, nurses often find themselves in a
position where delegating tasks is necessary in order to lessen their heavy workload, lower health
care costs, and provide quality patient care. In order to become an effective delegator, it is
important to be knowledgeable about what factors need to be considered when delegating and
reflect on past experiences. In this paper, I will discuss a personal work experience in which I
was delegated a task and how it has prepared me to become a better delegator in my future
nursing career.
According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), delegation is defined as the
reassigning of responsibility for the performance of a job from one person to another (Weiss &
Tappen, 2015, p. 104). Often times, delegation is confused with assignment. However, the main
difference between the two is that when a task or job is assigned, the power to perform that task
isnt transferred as it is in delegation. In other words, when someone is assigned a task they
already have to authority to do so (Weiss & Tappen, 2015). I have had many personal
experiences with delegation whether it was at work, school, or in my personal life. However, the
example that I have chosen for this paper is an instance of effective delegation at my place of
employment. Over the length of a year, I worked my way up at a local restaurant from a hostess
to a waitress without having any prior experience. The manager recognized how hard I worked
and that I also had a positive effect on the other employees. As a reward for my efforts, after a
period of time, he decided to delegate to me the task of training and supervising all of the newly
hired hostesses. Originally this was my mangers job, however, he felt that I had enough skill

EFFECTIVE DELEGATION

and focus to take over this task so that he could focus his attention on other important matters.
When discussing with my manager months later how came to this decision, it was clear that he
followed the 5 rights of delegation in this situation.
The 5 rights of delegation include, the right task, right circumstances, right person, right
direction/communication, and right supervision/evaluation (Weiss & Tappen, 2015). Though
these rights are usually only applied to the field of nursing, I feel that they are also applicable to
the professional world in general. In my example, the very first thing my manger did when he
made the decision to delegate this task was to bring me into his office so that we could discuss
my new job and his expectations. After a successful discussion, it was now my job to train all of
the new hosts, monitor their progress, and report back to my manager. Because of my work
ethics and the mutual respect between my manager and I, my report determined whether or not
the new hosts would stay or be let go. The circumstance regarding this delegation was
appropriate because the tasks were within my level of expertise. I was the right person for the
task since I had acquired the necessary skills and leadership qualifications while working there.
The direction and communication was appropriate as well. Before and after every shift my
manager and I would communicate the expectations as well as discuss the progress of each
potential host. He was also there to supervise during the shifts when necessary and evaluate my
performance. My manager stated later that when he delegated this task to me he realized that his
role as a supervisor would be limited. He knew he could trust me to carry out the task efficiently
and that I would ask for help if it was needed (N. Pedretti, personal communication, March 6,
2014).
An important part of delegation is making sure the appropriate supervision is present
while still allowing the delegatee the authority to complete the task (Weiss & Tappen, 2015).

EFFECTIVE DELEGATION

The supervision in this example was suitable based on the situation. My manager simply kept an
eye out to make sure I didnt need help and that everything ran smoothly during the shift.
According to Marshall Goldsmith, letting go when you need to let go and providing help when
you need to provide help is one important element in effective delegation (2014). Those
supervising need to realize that either micromanaging or not providing enough help can
potentially have a negative effect on the outcome of the task. The purpose of delegation is to free
up more time for the delegator to perform other more imperative tasks that others cannot (Weiss
& Tappen, 2015). Based on this evaluation, I dont believe that anything should have been done
differently in this particular situation, because almost all the elements of effective delegation
were followed.
Through this instance of effective delegation, I gained both experience and greater
knowledge regarding the delegation process. I was able to follow through with the task I was
assigned and, in the end, the restaurant gained three new hostesses that have become exemplary
employees. This was a perfect example of how effective delegation can decrease the workload of
the manager while also improving the outcomes and even attitudes of those involved. Effective
delegation does not only benefit the delegator, it can also aid those to whom the task is delegated
to by increasing their skill set and leadership skills. In the words of Florence Nightingale, Dont
imagine that if you, who are in charge, dont look to all these things yourself, those under you
will be more careful than you are(1859). It is important to acknowledge these words of a
historic nursing figure and recognize that they still apply to todays nursing practice and even
everyday life.

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References

Goldsmith, M. (2014, October 28). Two elements for effective delegation: Coaching for leaders.
[Education]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScOr3ut1mHs
Nightingale, F. (1859). Notes on nursing: What it is, and what it is not. [Kindle Version].
Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/notesonnursingnigh00nigh
Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2015). Essentials of nursing leadership and management.
Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.