Forums

Hello M-T friends :

 I would appreciate any help on getting perspective (or advice) on some recent missteps I seem to be making.

My role has been expanding and evolving over the past few years into less of a technical position and more of an Administrative position.

I have seen some difficulty delegating some of my tasks.  And My Boss has let me know, a few times recently that I need to stop doing so many of these things on my own and delegate them.

The difficulty is that on the tasks that were referred to the people I would have delegated them to are not my Directs.

Incidentally, they were previously my directs - as all of those responsibilities were previously mine.

The folks were originally hired to assist me.  Yet, they have over the past 2 years been re-aligned out from under me and officially report to other people, yet we are supposed to work closely together.

Normally, I would have delegated what I wanted, or started a project/task and then hand it over to my Direct when I felt it needed to be handed over.    (I still do this with my existing Directs)

--------

With these two recent incidents :

I was presented with an issue that is or was generally my responsibility (or a shared responsibility).  And It is still under my General Purview ....     

I see the need for the task, I know what needs to be done.  I am so used to doing it myself - picking up the phone - calling people, writing a sample webpage, etc...

When these folks were my Directs I would have just asked them to do it.  Now since they are not - I started doing it myself.

I jumped the gun... I started running with ball - and the Boss called me on it.

* Question :   How do I pass along a new task / assignment / project to someone when I do not have the general authority to do so ?

 

With other peers I am content to say -  "Well that's their job task, I'm not responsible for that dept. or anything they do.  I'll make a suggestion and let them do with it as they will "

Not the case here.  These are tasks that do fall under my General Purview, but not the employees.  I am not content to merely "make a suggestion"  , nor am I officially allowed to assign them the task.

Any thoughts ?

Bill_G's picture

I think your boss needs to step up and make it clear to these people's bosses (perhaps maybe they are peers of your boss?) that you will need to delegate work to them and get their buy-off that it is OK.  Then those bosses need to explain to the people involved they will need to help you on these projects.

Once your boss does his/her job, that would give you the ability to set up weekly meetings with the group, monitor their progress and get some sort of project management cadence going.

Senior Managers are supposed to get things aligned so you can do your job properly.  I would ask him/her to do this for you, then explain you can then do your job more effectively. 

 

 

 

 

delete_account_per_reacher_145083_dtiller's picture
Training Badge

...and there's a podcast for that (of course!).

 

http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/06/managing-in-a-matrix-organization-part-1