How can leaders delegate effectively?

Delegation is a crucial part of being a leader. Although delegating decision-making responsibilities can be a way for managers to empower employees, research published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes has shown employees sometimes view delegated decision-making as a burden they would prefer to avoid, according to Harvard Business Review.

The research also shows people thought being asked to make a decision was less fair than being asked for advice, causing them to view the delegators more negatively when they were asked to make a decision. Harvard Business Review shares the following three factors to consider when trying to delegate effectively.

1. Delegate choices with positive outcomes. In a controlled experiment, participants were asked to imagine either being asked to make a decision or to give advice. For the participants who were asked to make a decision, half were asked to make a decision regarding layoffs (a negative outcome), and the other half were asked to make a decision regarding bonuses (a positive outcome); the participants then relayed their feeling regarding the fairness of the delegator. When the decision concerned layoffs, participants were less willing to provide help with future decisions; when it concerned bonuses, participants were equally willing to provide future decision support as those asked for advice.
2. Give employees responsibility for decisions that fall within their roles. Delegation also can be more effective when there is a contextual reason for transferring the responsibility of decision-making to the employee. The request is more legitimate and is viewed as being fairer when it falls directly in someone’s area of expertise. For example, if someone works in a bank and is responsible for real-estate decisions, it makes sense for a manager to delegate the decision for a new branch location.
3. Limit the potential consequences to colleagues. Delegation also is more effective when the decision primarily affects only the delegate. Research shows people may be more willing to take responsibility when only they—rather than their colleagues—may suffer any potential consequences resulting from the decision.