Guide to Human Resources

Delegation Upwards

You are in charge of a business and you can't understand why you can't have a day off or go for a business trip without your business falling apart.
Do you find that there is a steady stream of people queuing outside your office door seeking advice on things they should already know.
Do you find that you need to make decisions everyday for everyone in your organisation.
Do you find yourself wondering how average your employees are.

If you are that person described above then you may be a victim of Delegation Upwards!

How does this work?
It usually starts with you being to involved in what everyone does and you cramp their ability to make decisions. Because you are easily excessible and your not tolerant of mistakes it just becomes easy for everyone to run everything by you.
In short, this is your fault you have let it get to this.

How do we fix it?
The key steps are as follows:
1) Review everyones postion descriptions and council them on the level of decision making required by their postion.
2) Don't interfere in everything they do. Afterall there are more than one way to sking a cat.
3) Move away from the general operation if possible. By being less excessible they are more likely to make the decision as it is easy to just pop in your office and ask a dumb question than ring you up.
4) Thank and encourage your employees when they make their own decisions.
5) And when they get it wrong, just explain what might of been a better solution so that they can consider that next time.


Before you no it you'll be working on more important stuff for your business rather than day to day operations.