Equally important in a leader’s work is delegating “upwards”, i.e., seeking the help of experts and assigning them specific tasks, as well as drawing from their valuable knowledge.
The concept of 6 levels of delegation introduced by Harvey Sherman is a kind of model for leaders. It assumes a gradual increase in trust towards the employee, and consequently, relying on their ever-increasing independence.
Below you will find a description of Sherman’s levels, and a practical team exercise that will allow you to practice delegation is located under the topic “Building exercise”.
Gathering and providing information
Delegation at this level requires the employee to gather and select information, make observations, and pass them on to the manager. In this way, the employee provides the necessary resources to the decision-maker, having an indirect contribution to the final decision.
Gathering and providing information and providing suggestions
At this level, in addition to gathering and selecting information, as well as making observations, the employee prepares an action plan, indicates potential pros and cons, and presents it to the manager, who decides which option will be implemented.
Gathering information, developing an action plan, obtaining approval
The third level is based on the employee examining the problem and generating an action plan, which is implemented if accepted and approved by the leader. Mutual trust is important at this level.
Gathering information, preparing a comprehensive action proposal, and implementing it under supervision
At this level, the independence of the employee, who takes responsibility for the entrusted task, begins to play a major role. The employee’s experience and resources acquired so far can play a large role at this stage.
Gathering information, preparing and implementing an action plan, and reporting
The fifth level is characterized by the fact that the employee has a lot of freedom in action, which results from the trust placed in them by the manager/leader. The employee completes the assigned task themselves, only notifying the manager of what has already been done.
Gathering information, preparing and implementing an action plan
The last level can be placed between delegating and sharing responsibility for specific tasks. In this situation, the leader does not verify the progress of work, because each employee acts on an equal footing and everyone can be equally supportive of each other.
