4/25/13–The saying about “what happens when you assume” is a vital code to live by if you’re part of a mgmt. team.
For what you are responsible—either wholly or partially–must either be done by you or delegated by you. There is no alternative. Delegate or do. These are effective. “Reliance” on a team member is not delegation and should be considered equal to “assumption” and, effectively, ignorance.
I don’t think “delegating” to a peer manager is the same as delegation to a direct. With a direct, you delegate the work and the reporting. You can also give direction on quality. The effective peer delegation, though, is simply communication that they have completed the task. Different than asking them “to complete” this task—definitely not just writing a note in the hopes they find it, record, and do it. This means the words used must lead to the realization that “yes” it’s done or “no” it’s not.
Another important distinction between peer and direct delegation is a deadline. Directs must be given a time restraint on tasks. Peers probably won’t respond well to being given a deadline. That would reduce effectiveness as a result. With a peer, the deadline is probably included in the task. And even if it’s not, because the only effective communication is “is it done?” the deadline here is irrelevant as the answer is either yes or no. If your peer answers no, it will surely be followed by either an excuse—which is also irrelevant—or by the legitimate reason that the deadline is not yet. So, the deadline will either be part of the task or part of the answer.
I’d probably expand this characteristic to all types of teams. The basic principle is as an individual contributor , you are liable for work—shared or not. Just as all parties in a business partnership are fully liable financially, so goes a team. Therefore, all work left undone falls on all responsible, fully. Doing this behavior will ensure your whole team benefits from 100% task completion. Externally the team will look good, internally you’ll be known as the main reason.
QOTW: “thanks for giving me the night to study.” – Ashley
?FNW: After being sent home for failing tests, how will new girl respond? Aced them!
10/24/2017 review: I definitely still agree that, for what you’re indirectly responsible (not “your” job, per se) you can’t just rely on the person who’s directly responsible to do. I think I was conveying two ways this could look–you’re responsible for something that your direct reports really do, or you share responsibility with another manager for something that the team as a whole must deliver. In the first case, delegating to an employee is best when you include a deadline and a request that they report when it’s done as part of the task. With a peer that typically takes on the work you’re sharing responsibility for, you’ll get burned if you simply assume they’re doing it–better to develop a relationship with them from day one and check in with them frequently enough to ask “hey, is x done, just checking” without it harming your relationship.