How do you learn from delegation mistakes?

A supervisor may delegate a task but never the responsibility. A task may be delegated to a qualified person who has the skills to complete the task fully. When an error is committed by the delegate an investigation is warranted. The entire process must be evaluated from the inception to the result. Getting to the root cause of the failure is key. Corrective action must follow to avoid any future mistakes. It’s the supervisor’s responsibility.

Delegation is a vital aspect of effective supervision, and I've observed that it can sometimes be filled with challenges. Identifying the right person for the task, communicating clearly, and ensuring proper follow-up are key to successful delegation. Mistakes do happen, such as improper task alignment or lack of guidance. In my experience, acknowledging the error, and taking immediate corrective actions have been the right steps. Seeking feedback from both the team and the person the task was delegated to, and then reflecting on those insights, helps me avoid similar mistakes in the future. "Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time." - George Bernard Shaw.

The first step, as the leader, is to do a self assessment in asking “Did I set my team/this person up to be successful when I delegated this task?” If not, let them know. If so, with grace, sit down and walk through an after action review of how the process, task, correspondence ,etc. could have been navigated differently to produce a more desirable outcome. If the mistake was catastrophic, and sometimes they do have dire consequences, walk through with your team/person until they are removed or the situation has turned around. It will not be fun, but it will be meaningful. People will remember you far more for how you came alongside them in mistakes/conflict likely more than in times where it’s smooth sailing.

Delegation is a critical component to effective leadership. The very essence of delegation is trust. It is in this show of trust that innovation is born, as you empower others to carry the water you will discover solutions that would have otherwise remained blocked. But mistakes will happen and balls will get dropped when delegating. The most important step is to first acknowledge that delegation is not releasing, and that as the leader you still own the outcome. Next is to self reflect and ask some hard questions: Was my intent clear, were they truly empowered to succeed, did I resource them. These will likely get back to the root cause of the failure and will challenge you as the leader to grow for your next opportunity to fail forward.

From my experience you should delegate tasks that are urgent but not important, or important but not urgent, this will give you time to follow up and focus on the ones that are both urgent and important. Delegating tasks to team members is an important part of growth and empowerment. You should be involved in your daily activities this gives you insight into the strengths and skill sets of the people on your team.

This is a moment of Deja Vu. I would like to share my experiences. The team must be allowed to own their tasks and should they fail , they should be vocal about the same. The only way to learn & grow is to make mistakes. The idea is to never make the same mistake twice.

Engaging in feedback on the task mistake(s) is very important. It shows the team that we are all responsible for communicating and opens doors to building relationships. Apologizing is the first step, as a leader, we are the catalyst and ultimately responsible for the fails. The debrief is just as important as the assignment.

é importante que as pessoas assumam a responsabilidade por seus erros e tomem medidas para corrigi-los. Em vez de culpar os outros ou inventar desculpas, é fundamental reconhecer o erro, expressar arrependimento e explicar como evitar que isso aconte?a novamente. Além disso, é importante tomar medidas para corrigir o problema, como reatribuir a tarefa, fornecer treinamento ou orienta??o adicionais, ajustar o prazo ou o or?amento ou compensar os danos. Ao fazer isso, você pode mostrar à sua equipe que se preocupa com o trabalho e o bem-estar deles e que está disposto a aprender com seus erros. Aprender com os erros é uma parte importante do crescimento e do desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional.

I've always started by my personal experience in a story and what I did to rectify it and how I went about it. The younger generation do not have the experience and seems struggle to apologise encouragement and self belief helps.

Be humble and accept your mistakes. Apologize with No excuses. Take actions to correct your mistakes learn from them and move on. No one is perfect and mistakes are how we learn and grow.

Absolutely agree! The third step, seeking feedback and advice, is crucial for refining delegation skills. It can be challenging to ask for input after a delegation misstep, but it's essential for growth. It's time to put the pride aside and gain diverse perspectives using the tools you mentioned, SMART, and asking for honest feedback to learn to refine delegation skills.

Na verdade os feedbacks e os conselhos podem ser essenciais para melhorar a comunica??o, pois permitem que as pessoas recebam informa??es sobre como est?o sendo percebidas e possam ajustar sua comunica??o de acordo. é importante lembrar que o feedback deve ser construtivo e oferecer sugest?es para melhorias, em vez de apenas criticar. Além disso, é importante que as pessoas estejam dispostas a ouvir e entender o ponto de vista do outro para que a comunica??o seja eficaz.

The idea it's always delegate the task to the person qualified, with this you are not getting any possible mistakes, when executing task with the person does not have the knowledge suitable and specific, you rum the risk to lost, time Production, waste tool, makes worst the situation.

Feedback is a vital step to improvement. With feedback we can make adjustments for our mistakes or learn more efficient ways to complete similar or the same tasks in the future. Be humble and take the feedback to improve your skills to be a better manager.

When the supervisor has a greater comprehension on when, where and why the mistakes occurred, it is essential that the delegate approaches someone in a senior position in order to receive constructive criticism while also seeking advice in order to strengthen one's capabilities and acquire any skills and/or advice that may be required to handle similar situations were they to occur in the future.

There are three pillars for great delegation: 1) Skills to delegate tasks, problem solving, and management responsibility at different levels of trust. 2) The willingness and desire to delegate instead of do things yourself. You must want to detach your ego from having the work done exactly your way. 3) The self-discipline and emotional intelligence to respond positively in common situations that derail many well-meaning managers. Managers can quickly learn the different strategies needed for skills, problem solving, and management responsibilities. It's the will and self-discipline that require the most work to improve.

The Ch.Eng at a large shipping company made a mistake by delegating the overhaul of a critical engine component to a junior engineer without verifying his experience or providing clear guidelines, leading to engine performance issues. He realised his oversight and started documenting his delegation decisions, noting a recurring issue of assuming knowledge based on rank or general experience. He set specific goals to match tasks with engineer expertise, introduce technical training sessions, and provide clear instructions. He regularly reviewed his logbook and organized an appreciation gathering after a significant period without technical issues, instilling a culture of precise communication and continuous learning.

In my perspective, there's a crucial difference between delegating and merely dumping tasks. This distinction lies in two key areas - purpose and enablement. Delegation, in my eyes, is about fostering growth in others. It's a learning journey with all its inherent outcomes. A vital part of this process is clarity on the 'What?' and 'Why?', while leaving the 'How?' to the individual's discretion. This is where enablement steps in. We can't just offload a task onto someone and say, "Here, go figure". It's essential to equip them with the necessary information to make informed decisions.

Delegation is a shared responsibility, I trust that you can take over and do an amazing job, however I am here if you need me. We want to make sure that our teams are comfortable with the delegated tasks and can refuse them without thinking there would be consequences

A big mistake is delegating to the next person in the chain without fully considering whether they have the personality /skill set/ desire to step into the role. There are many fantastic employees who are great at the role they are in but not necessarily a different role. Recognize what talents your employees have and celebrate those without punishing them for not being able to perform in other roles. Before delegating, make sure you know your staff.

Avoid micromanaging when delegating. When possible, tell your people what to do and not how to do it. Allow your team to surprise you with their initiative and give them a chance to innovate new tactics. After the task is complete, you can advise on how to improve. After completing certain tasks the long way or the hard way, your team will be more open to learning new skills and best practices. You may find yourself amazed at the results and how well your people are performing while completing tasks in new ways you haven’t experienced or imagined.

Effective delegation involves entrusting team members with tasks that challenge them and help them grow professionally. There should be a regular follow up and touch points so that you can make sure that learning is happening and that you have been able to answer any queries. Effective delegation involves clear communication about expectations, timelines, and goals. It encourages open dialogue and feedback. Delegation is a part of developing skills and making your team successful and self-sufficient. Remember you are a part of somebody’s career and development. They will remember you for it.