Delegation critical management skill in health care

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Funding cuts in the health care field necessitate greater efficiencies than ever before. Fewer professionals will be called upon to fulfill more responsibilities. Managers and their staff will be better equipped for this task by utilizing delegation. |ret||ret||tab|

First, determine the job assignments to delegate, primarily tasks that increase stress levels and consume more time than the value yielded. List areas of accountability that might further develop associates or utilize their expertise. |ret||ret||tab|

Second, select team members based upon ability, experience and dependability. Assess the difficulty and importance of the projects. Ascertain the skills and preferences of jobholders. Do not let anyone become stuck routinely performing the same job. |ret||ret||tab|

Determine who desires challenging assignments and has the potential for success. Remember, strong individuals will be able to execute new assignments with little supervision. Inexperienced people will need closer supervision, but coaching while delegating will enable assigning more in the future. Delegate fairly and realistically. Do not let enthusiastic health care team members bite off more than they can chew. |ret||ret||tab|

Third, provide the appropriate degree of authority while stretching employees. Delegating total authority will save the most time. Ask staff members if they re-ceive the correct level of authority. |ret||ret||tab|

Fourth, give clear expectations so a medical worker does not waste valuable time and produce results with little re-semblance to the desired outcome. State the purpose of the project, bottom-line results expected, specific instructions, deadlines, the authority level and interim and final progress reports required. |ret||ret||tab|

Fifth, follow up at strategic times but do not micromanage. Consistently provide accurate and honest feedback. Continue to answer questions throughout the project. Ensure that the worker has the resources he needs. Communicate a desire to hear of problems that arise be-fore they escalate, as well as ideas for solutions. Empower subordinates to im-plement their ideas if possible, knowing they might actually know a better way to achieve the goal. Take the time to provide further training as needed. Do not accept a partially finished job. Provide positive feedback upon completion. |ret||ret||tab|

The benefits of successful delegation to staff include maximum usage of areas of expertise, the receipt of additional training and development, and increased motivation, morale and commitment to the medical organization. The value to supervisors consists of decreased stress and increased production, retention, team building, promotion potential and time to execute higher priorities. |ret||ret||tab|

In spite of the advantages, a medical manager might not delegate as often as he should for several reasons. Insuf-ficient time for training is an acceptable short-term excuse, but usually time spent delegating is multiplied in time saved. |ret||ret||tab|

Fear of surrendering authority and a false belief that no one will be able to complete the assignment like the director are further hindrances. Capabilities of an associate might be evaluated in situations where confidence is lacking. Smaller tasks should be delegated initially and coaching rendered as work progresses.|ret||ret||tab|

Delegation is a critical management skill in the health care field. Spearhead the growth of team members, maximize your potential as a leader, and increase the contribution of your team to the continued success of your medical organization during these budget-cutting times. |ret||ret||tab|

(Lynne Haggerman is president/ owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, management training, and human re-sources consulting firm.)[[In-content Ad]]