Delegating for Business Success by Janis Fischer Chan

Author:Janis Fischer Chan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AMACOM Books
Published: 2004-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

The process of developing a plan of action helps the person think through what needs to be done. It also helps you ensure that the person is on the right track, since an incomplete or unrealistic plan of action can indicate that the person is likely to have trouble achieving the results you want.

Just as you need to explain the job clearly, be sure to explain what you expect a plan of action to include. At the least, it should have these components:

• The objective: a clear statement of the results to be achieved

• The deadline: the firm or approximate date by which the objective needs to be completed

• The process: the key steps the person will take to achieve the objective

• Interim deadlines (if any): the dates by which key steps will be completed

• Resources needed: the time, money, training, equipment, support staff, and other resources the person will need to achieve the results by the deadline

• Points to consider: possible obstacles or problems, along with ideas for dealing with them

The action plan should be written down. If you wish, you can give people the action planning worksheet in Exhibit 4–3 to complete. Exhibit 4–4 shows a sample action plan for producing a quarterly newsletter.

Before the person begins work, meet with him or her to discuss the action plan. This meeting offers an opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings about the project and to provide any missing information. It helps both you and the person feel more confident about the delegation process. It also gives you an opportunity to discuss the resources the person will need and to decide how they will be obtained.

Just as for the initial meeting, set aside enough time to go through the plan carefully. Ask questions to clarify any action steps that seem unclear or incomplete. Discuss the resources the person will need and determine how to obtain them. Also discuss any potential obstacles, both those the person has identified and any others that occur to you.

If the action plan appears complete and realistic, use the last part of the meeting to discuss the way in which the work will be monitored and evaluated. That process is explained in more detail below.

Think About It

Have you ever prepared an action plan for a job that was delegated to you? Have you ever asked for an action plan when you delegated a job to someone else? If not, what difference do you think having an action plan might have made in the results?

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