Hospitality management diploma - Delegation
Content
Boutique Events
Case study and report
Jinhan Ko
In the business world, there is no single-handed success. Even the best leader sometimes
needs help and support. Learning how to delegate effectively is the key to leveraging
yourself and multiplying your value to your company..
Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
Why is delegation an important skill?........................................................................................2
The reasons behind the hesitation to delegate.............................................................................2
Delegation plan for Olivia........................................................................................................2
Staff qualities to seek prior to delegation....................................................................................3
Tips for effective instructions...................................................................................................3
Reasons behind staff’s resistance to taking on delegated tasks......................................................3
How to ensure successful performance of delegated tasks.............................................................4
Several time management strategies..........................................................................................4
How ineffective time management relates to WH&S....................................................................4
Monitoring strategies to ensure employees’ involvement..............................................................4
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................5
Reference......................................................................................................................................5
Introduction
In the business world, there is no single-handed success. Even the best leader sometimes
needs help and support. There is no shame in asking for assistance. A true leader will push
aside the pride and show respect for the talent others can bring to the table. Learning how to
delegate effectively is the key to leveraging yourself and multiplying your value to your
company. Without the ability to delegate effectively, it is impossible for you to advance in
management to higher positions of responsibility.
Why is delegation an important skill?
Firstly it helps Olivia manage time and the workload efficiently. Secondly, by delegating
challenging, interesting, and rewarding tasks, Olivia can motivate employees to work.
Besides, delegating contributes significantly to succession planning since it is actually partly
training employees for management roles later. And lastly, employees tend to feel respected
and valued when they are entrusted with some of Olivia’s responsibilities.
The reasons behind the hesitation to delegate
Even though Olivia is supposed to retain the accountability for the task’s success as an Events
Coordinator, there are certain reasons that make her hesitant about delegation. Specifically,
due to the fact that Olivia prides herself on exceeding the job requirement, and no one can
perform as well as herself; she might be worried that an employee would do a better job than
her, and she may be delegated out of the job; thus losing credit for the job. Lack of trust is
also a factor that inhibited Olivia from delegating tasks. Having said that, Olivia can hardly
delegate any task properly with a 70 hour working schedule; therefore time can be considered
Olivia’s biggest objective barrier.
Delegation plan for Olivia
Tasks unsuitable to
Tasks Olivia does but
Tasks could be
Tasks no one is doing
delegate
could be done by others
permanently delegated
that could be done by
Conducts employee
in her absence
Organises event bookings
Training of new and
others
Conducts research, site
appraisals
and contracts
existing staff
visits, and finds resources
Liaises with venues and
Creates and revises room
Organises staff roster
to help with decisions
suppliers
layouts for each event
Creates event run sheets
about event possibilities
Negotiate contracts
Assists with preparing
Ensure staff attendance in
Monitor staff on shift and
budgets and provides
full uniform
ensures all SOPs and QA
reports to the event
Conduct pre/post-shift
principles are adhered to
director
meetings
Updates company SOPs
Staff recruitment and
selection
Staff qualities to seek prior to delegation
To realise the plan, Olivia should decide which staff to delegate tasks by matching staff to
tasks according to skill set, motivation level and desire to learn. There are certain qualities
that she should look for in staff, for instance, skilled employees that want to learn more; or
employees who are bored and want new challenges. Ideally the person must be willing and
able, with some training, to complete the task.
Tips for effective instructions
Olivia should follow closely the following verbal instructions:
Explicit and Direct: She can give direct instruction to a particular person/team
Request: By giving request, Olivia can soften the instruction and encourage
participation and open communication.
Indirect: Instructions left as an open question to the team will allow volunteering and
some discretion in how the task is carried out.
Conditional: Olivia can also provide essential information while outlining desired
results/outcome.
Reasons behind staff’s resistance to taking on delegated tasks
Occasionally staff might show tendency to resist taking on delegated tasks. Several common
barriers can be concern of being overwhelmed, lack of experience for the tasks, unsure of
their ability, fear of failure, avoidance of responsibility, concern of jealousy or confrontation
from other team members.
How to ensure successful performance of delegated tasks
To ensure the delegated tasks are successfully performed, Olivia should monitor team and
individual performance by establishing check points. These are points in time where the
employee reports back on their progress so that constructive feedback can be provided either
formally or informally. Apart from feedback, Olivia should support her staff by continuously
providing information, knowledge and experiences so that agreed goals and objectives can be
met.
Several time management strategies
There are several time management strategies that could assist Olivia. Firstly, technology (i.e.
software, programs, and applications) is a very useful tool in getting things organised.
Moreover, Olivia can utilise the 80:20 rule to prioritise tasks plus she should only handle
each task once instead of multitasking. A multi-tasker may also be tempted by timewasters;
therefore eliminating them is a must.. Besides, tasks that require concentration should be
handled within the quiet time. Olivia can also try delegating certain tasks to her staff to avoid
overworking herself.
How ineffective time management relates to WH&S
Ineffective time management can become a WH&S issue since it can cause physical and
psychological harm to employees, such as heavy stress and fatigue. This may lead to conflict
with other staff, inability to meet deadlines, drop in accuracy, staff turnover etc.
Monitoring strategies to ensure employees’ involvement
Lastly, there are some monitoring strategies that Olivia can implement to help employees
become more involved in the monitoring process. Based on set monitoring points, Olivia
should firstly check in to ensure results are to plan. Besides, she should also be open to
encourage staff to submit any queries or concerns that they may have. Facilitating staff
meeting is particularly a good way to allow for regular progress review and constructive
feedback among employees. Olivia can try communicating & tracking progress by displaying
results and outcome in a common area such as notice boards, Intranet, and Email, where staff
has frequent exposure to the information.
Conclusion
In short, to delegate effectively, every leader needs to choose the right tasks to delegate,
identify the right people to delegate to, and delegate in the right way. If Olivia can nail the
delegation process, she can build a strong and successful team of staff, and meet the business
demand as a team. This is why delegation is such an important skill, and is one that every
leader needs to learn.
Reference
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/parkprgrd/PSTrainingModules/delegating/del12frame.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm
http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/10/02/how-to-delegate-more-effectively-inyour-business/
Case study and report
Jinhan Ko
In the business world, there is no single-handed success. Even the best leader sometimes
needs help and support. Learning how to delegate effectively is the key to leveraging
yourself and multiplying your value to your company..
Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
Why is delegation an important skill?........................................................................................2
The reasons behind the hesitation to delegate.............................................................................2
Delegation plan for Olivia........................................................................................................2
Staff qualities to seek prior to delegation....................................................................................3
Tips for effective instructions...................................................................................................3
Reasons behind staff’s resistance to taking on delegated tasks......................................................3
How to ensure successful performance of delegated tasks.............................................................4
Several time management strategies..........................................................................................4
How ineffective time management relates to WH&S....................................................................4
Monitoring strategies to ensure employees’ involvement..............................................................4
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................5
Reference......................................................................................................................................5
Introduction
In the business world, there is no single-handed success. Even the best leader sometimes
needs help and support. There is no shame in asking for assistance. A true leader will push
aside the pride and show respect for the talent others can bring to the table. Learning how to
delegate effectively is the key to leveraging yourself and multiplying your value to your
company. Without the ability to delegate effectively, it is impossible for you to advance in
management to higher positions of responsibility.
Why is delegation an important skill?
Firstly it helps Olivia manage time and the workload efficiently. Secondly, by delegating
challenging, interesting, and rewarding tasks, Olivia can motivate employees to work.
Besides, delegating contributes significantly to succession planning since it is actually partly
training employees for management roles later. And lastly, employees tend to feel respected
and valued when they are entrusted with some of Olivia’s responsibilities.
The reasons behind the hesitation to delegate
Even though Olivia is supposed to retain the accountability for the task’s success as an Events
Coordinator, there are certain reasons that make her hesitant about delegation. Specifically,
due to the fact that Olivia prides herself on exceeding the job requirement, and no one can
perform as well as herself; she might be worried that an employee would do a better job than
her, and she may be delegated out of the job; thus losing credit for the job. Lack of trust is
also a factor that inhibited Olivia from delegating tasks. Having said that, Olivia can hardly
delegate any task properly with a 70 hour working schedule; therefore time can be considered
Olivia’s biggest objective barrier.
Delegation plan for Olivia
Tasks unsuitable to
Tasks Olivia does but
Tasks could be
Tasks no one is doing
delegate
could be done by others
permanently delegated
that could be done by
Conducts employee
in her absence
Organises event bookings
Training of new and
others
Conducts research, site
appraisals
and contracts
existing staff
visits, and finds resources
Liaises with venues and
Creates and revises room
Organises staff roster
to help with decisions
suppliers
layouts for each event
Creates event run sheets
about event possibilities
Negotiate contracts
Assists with preparing
Ensure staff attendance in
Monitor staff on shift and
budgets and provides
full uniform
ensures all SOPs and QA
reports to the event
Conduct pre/post-shift
principles are adhered to
director
meetings
Updates company SOPs
Staff recruitment and
selection
Staff qualities to seek prior to delegation
To realise the plan, Olivia should decide which staff to delegate tasks by matching staff to
tasks according to skill set, motivation level and desire to learn. There are certain qualities
that she should look for in staff, for instance, skilled employees that want to learn more; or
employees who are bored and want new challenges. Ideally the person must be willing and
able, with some training, to complete the task.
Tips for effective instructions
Olivia should follow closely the following verbal instructions:
Explicit and Direct: She can give direct instruction to a particular person/team
Request: By giving request, Olivia can soften the instruction and encourage
participation and open communication.
Indirect: Instructions left as an open question to the team will allow volunteering and
some discretion in how the task is carried out.
Conditional: Olivia can also provide essential information while outlining desired
results/outcome.
Reasons behind staff’s resistance to taking on delegated tasks
Occasionally staff might show tendency to resist taking on delegated tasks. Several common
barriers can be concern of being overwhelmed, lack of experience for the tasks, unsure of
their ability, fear of failure, avoidance of responsibility, concern of jealousy or confrontation
from other team members.
How to ensure successful performance of delegated tasks
To ensure the delegated tasks are successfully performed, Olivia should monitor team and
individual performance by establishing check points. These are points in time where the
employee reports back on their progress so that constructive feedback can be provided either
formally or informally. Apart from feedback, Olivia should support her staff by continuously
providing information, knowledge and experiences so that agreed goals and objectives can be
met.
Several time management strategies
There are several time management strategies that could assist Olivia. Firstly, technology (i.e.
software, programs, and applications) is a very useful tool in getting things organised.
Moreover, Olivia can utilise the 80:20 rule to prioritise tasks plus she should only handle
each task once instead of multitasking. A multi-tasker may also be tempted by timewasters;
therefore eliminating them is a must.. Besides, tasks that require concentration should be
handled within the quiet time. Olivia can also try delegating certain tasks to her staff to avoid
overworking herself.
How ineffective time management relates to WH&S
Ineffective time management can become a WH&S issue since it can cause physical and
psychological harm to employees, such as heavy stress and fatigue. This may lead to conflict
with other staff, inability to meet deadlines, drop in accuracy, staff turnover etc.
Monitoring strategies to ensure employees’ involvement
Lastly, there are some monitoring strategies that Olivia can implement to help employees
become more involved in the monitoring process. Based on set monitoring points, Olivia
should firstly check in to ensure results are to plan. Besides, she should also be open to
encourage staff to submit any queries or concerns that they may have. Facilitating staff
meeting is particularly a good way to allow for regular progress review and constructive
feedback among employees. Olivia can try communicating & tracking progress by displaying
results and outcome in a common area such as notice boards, Intranet, and Email, where staff
has frequent exposure to the information.
Conclusion
In short, to delegate effectively, every leader needs to choose the right tasks to delegate,
identify the right people to delegate to, and delegate in the right way. If Olivia can nail the
delegation process, she can build a strong and successful team of staff, and meet the business
demand as a team. This is why delegation is such an important skill, and is one that every
leader needs to learn.
Reference
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/parkprgrd/PSTrainingModules/delegating/del12frame.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm
http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/10/02/how-to-delegate-more-effectively-inyour-business/
