This guidance recommends assigning both the reporting of work and the work itself when delegating.

If you're not a manager, you might be surprised what us managers think about when we assign work to our directs. If you're not a manager, you probably assume, hey, he gave me the work, I know it's mine, I'll do it, it's my job, after all. Easy to be him or her.

That's not always what we assume. Even with top performers, there are times when we wonder: Will it get done? Can they do it? Will they do it WELL? Will they do it on time? How will I know the status between now and when it's due? Will they let me know if something goes wrong? Why don't they proactively communicate more? Why do I have to go check? Am I going to have to have a difficult conversation? Am I going to end up having to do it myself?

At least for part of that, there's a solution. It's a simple thing, but it will save you hundreds of hours work over your career, and millions of moments of heartache and worry.

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This guidance describes how to choose what to delegate using a simple Venn Diagram – the intersection between the direct, the manager, and the organization.

We were recently with a CEO client who had used our guidance on what to delegate pretty effectively. She had reproduced our Juggling Koan diagram, and asked her directs to fill it out with their big and small balls of responsibility. In addition to that, she had noted below the diagram our questions from our guidance on delegation: what the direct is good at, what the direct needs, and what the direct wants.

We were impressed that she was working so hard to develop her top team. This is what effective executives do – follow through in detail to ensure that the organization continues growing after they’re gone.

And, yet, when we talk with managers and executives about our guidance, many ask, what about what I think my team needs, and what about what the organization might suggest based on their career path? This cast expands upon our previous guidance.

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We conclude our conversation on how and why to delegate almost all of your routine reporting to your directs.

1. Why to Delegate Reporting.
   1. Managerial Economics 101
   2. Development of Directs
   3. Broadening of Directs
   4. Exposure of Directs
   5. Relatively Low Risk
2. How To Prep For Delegating Reporting
   1. Inventory Your Reports
   2. Segregate Into Thirds
   3. Delegate Bottom Third First
   4. Choose Direct Based On Skill, Need, and/or Desire
3. How To Handle The Delegation Conversation
4. How To Follow Up

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This cast describes how and why to delegate almost all of your routine reporting to your directs.

We may be the only place on earth in management development that is willing to come back over and over again to delegation. Because so many management theorists want to talk about the overall management of companies, or the theory of management, or the ideas behind management, very few of us, perhaps only us, seems to want to talk about the behaviors of management. What managers do day-to-day – how they behave, what behaviors they engage in, does matter. It does because so many of us intend to do our best, but don't know how.

Delegation is one of the un-discussed hows of management. Some theorists probably assume it's happening . . . but probably without really knowing exactly what it is or looks or feels like. Some others wouldn't give it a second thought. We know at Manager Tools that it's the fourth member of the Trinity, the one that's about building the organization's capabilities, beyond the individual.

Really effective executives are often seen to be over-delegating. Yet too many managers aren't delegating enough. We think that other than fear of risk of failure, the question would be – what do I delegate, and how do I do it? Here's what, why, and how, in detail, as only Manager Tools can do. ;-)

1. Why to Delegate Reporting.
   1. Managerial Economics 101
   2. Development of Directs
   3. Broadening of Directs
   4. Exposure of Directs
   5. Relatively Low Risk
2. How To Prep For Delegating Reporting
   1. Inventory Your Reports
   2. Segregate Into Thirds
   3. Delegate Bottom Third First
   4. Choose Direct Based On Skill, Need, and/or Desire
3. How To Handle The Delegation Conversation
4. How To Follow Up

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This cast recommends simple choices for what to delegate to our directs.

When we train groups or coach executives and managers on delegation, the question we most frequently get is, okay, but WHAT do I delegate? For many years, we resisted giving guidance on WHAT to delegate. We were much more focused on the HOW of delegation, which we have codified in the fourth concept in the Manager Tools Trinity.

But frankly, everyone keeps asking WHAT to delegate! For years we've been saying that that decision is best based on the manager's priorities and the directs' abilities. But frankly, it must not be as easy as we thought. Managers whom we have trained still ask, what, what, what. So, this podcast addresses the basics of WHAT to delegate to our directs.

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This cast describes how to delegate running your staff meeting as part of succession planning. 

One of the mistakes that a lot of us make as managers is thinking of all the things we have to do when it comes to management, and getting overwhelmed. Meetings, developing our team, annual reviews, coaching, goal setting, succession planning, promotions…and that's without thinking about our NON managerial responsibilities.

This cast explains our rationale for why Delegation is the 4th Member of our Management Trinity.

Ah, the FOURTH member of the Trinity. We did this for two reasons – one, to make it easier to remember. Two, because you simply cannot grow an organization profitably without Delegation. You can grow the profitability of a company without new products, without new distribution — think Tiffany's, or coal mines. But not without delegation. (Delegation is ESPECIALLY important if you don't have new products or distribution, and we don't recommend either!)

Mark recently blogged with our first ever management koan, "What Would An Effective Manager Do?" It was clearly a big hit - we got 45 responses within 2-3 days.

No, I'm not sharing the answer yet.

So, you're a manager, and you've got a boss and a team. Let's assume for a moment that all of your responsibilities - your goals and objectives, rolling up all your tasks, can be represented by a bucket of balls (as in, "juggling a lot of balls.").