Delegating

Delegating

As an employer or employee, there are days in which, no matter how well the day is

planned, there doesn't seem to be enough time to accomplish all those things that need to be

done. Whether it is self created issues or issues brought on by others, something always seems

to throw off the plan. There are several options available to better manage time and allow a plan

to be more effective throughout the day. But there's one option, when used correctly, can be a

time saver and allow more tasks to be accomplished. This option is not new, nor is it a surprise,

however, most of the time it's used incorrectly and therefore unsuccessful. That option is

delegation. Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to a subordinate at a

lower level (Management, 2007). Delegation is actually a very necessary tool for managers to

accomplish daily plans. Managers in all professions use delegation effectively, but there is still

room to improve in order to assist their management responsibilities. In the Air Force

Contracting profession, managers use delegation when leading. Here are some examples of how

contracting managers delegate and how it can be used more effectively.

In the contracting profession there are three tiers of leadership. The top tier is comprised

of the commander and deputy commander. It is this tier that is responsible for the overall unit

mission and supervision of middle management. The commanders oversee the daily operation

and ensure that there are sufficient resources available to complete the mission. Resources from

financial to human to physical, the commanders ensure they are available. One of the biggest

challenges for the upper tier is keeping their resources happy while ensuring they carry out the

mission. Delegation can actually help. Transfer of responsibility develops your staff, and can

increase their enjoyment of their jobs (Delegation, n.d.). Throughout the week, the commanders

hold meetings with the middle tier managers. These meetings are used as a means to

communicate objectives to the middle tier and also to receive status from the middle tier as to the

daily operations. When the upper tier has tasks that need to be accomplished, they are delegated

to the middle tier to ensure they are accomplished. Usually the commander defines the goal and

randomly assigns the responsibility to an individual in the middle tier. That individual is given a

timeframe to get the task accomplished. Depending on how long the timeframe is, the

commander tracks the status during future meetings. Usually it's on a weekly basis. The way

that upper management can use delegation more effectively would be to select the individual that

is most suited for the task based on the views solicited from all individuals. Choosing the right

individual for the task will ensure the goal is achieved by an individual with interest in the task.

Also, the commander does not solicit subordinate views about suggested approaches. If this

delegation skill was executed, the chance of wasted time could be eliminated. Now that the

responsibility has been given to middle management it's their turn to execute.

Middle management is in charge of the different flights (teams responsible for

different types of acquisitions, i.e. services, construction, commodities) within the unit. It's this

management tier that is responsible for supervision of the lower tier of management and

oversight of daily activities. Middle management makes sure the acquisition process is being

executed. They conduct inspections to ensure the flight is adhering to local and federal rules and

regulations. Also, they are responsible for training in order to assure all actions are being done

correctly the processes are up to date. Often times, there are tasks that middle management must

delegate. Whether it's a self created task or one that was delegated down from upper

management, delegation must be executed in order for middle management to complete the

overall mission.

Managers remain responsible and accountable not only for their own actions

but for the actions of their subordinates (Management, 2007). "You can delegate authority, but

you cannot delegate responsibility"(Byron Dorgan). Middle management knows this more than

other managers as they report directly to the commander. Once a week, a flight meeting is held,

much like the meetings that upper management holds. It's during these meetings that the flight

has an open forum to discuss all that is going