them  increased  authority,  challenge,  and  control  over their  work. There  are  two  assumptions  of  effective  delegation: The clearer the idea a subordinate has of what is to be done,  the  better  the  chances  of  its  being  done.  The greater  the  sense  of  accomplishment  a  subordinate  gets from a task, the greater the person’s motivation to do the task. The following four steps of effective delegation put the assumptions we have discussed into practice: Step 1. Identify the basic task that must be done and present the information to the person you have decided should do the task. Frequently, these tasks come from above in the chain of command, or they may be routine jobs you assign to a worker. In either case, your job is to gather information about the task and to pass it to the person you have delegated to do the job. Step 2. You and your subordinate agree on and set objectives to be accomplished to get the task done by some designated date and time. Step 3. You and your subordinate agree on a work plan, as well as plans for measuring progress and results.   Involving  your  subordinates  in  setting objectives and developing work plans is one way you can   increase   their   commitment   and   sense   of responsibility. Step 4. Give the subordinate the challenge and authority to achieve the objectives; however, you are responsible to your superiors for the results. In this step  you  must  clearly  communicate  an  understanding  of the tasks. You must also communicate the nature of the reward or discipline that may result from whether or not the  task  is  accomplished. Many of us fail in delegating authority. We fail not because   we   do   not   understand   the   principles   of delegation  but  because  of  our  inability  or  unwillingness to apply the principles in practice. Much of the reason for our failures lies in our personal attitudes toward delegation. A leader who is able to effectively delegate has an open mind and is willing to give other people’s ideas a chance.  Decision  making  always  involves  some discretion.  This  means  a  subordinate’s  decision probably will not be exactly the same as the decision you would have made. To be an effective delegator, you must welcome subordinates’ ideas and praise them for their ingenuity. As a responsible Navy leader, you cannot sit back while  a  subordinate  makes  a  mistake  that  might endanger  the  organization  or  the  subordinate’s  position in   the   Navy.   However,   continual   checking   on   a subordinate to make sure mistakes are never made makes   true   delegation   impossible.   We   all   make mistakes; therefore, allow your subordinates to have their  share. You can help your subordinates avoid serious or repeated  mistakes  without  hindering  delegation  or development of subordinates in several ways. You can counsel  with  them,  ask  leading  questions,  and  carefully review  objectives  and  policies. Closely allied with letting others make mistakes is trusting your subordinates. As a leader who delegates, you have no alternative but to trust your subordinates. Delegation in and of itself implies a trustful attitude. You may be tempted to put off delegation; you may think to yourself,  subordinates  are  not  well-enough  seasoned, cannot handle people, have not developed judgment, or do not understand the facts of the situation as well as I do. These assumptions may sometimes be true. Then your duty is to train your subordinates or to select others who  can  assume  delegated  authority. Some people may be guilty of not delegating for one or more of the following reasons: They may not want to release their control over the job. They also may not know how to delegate wisely or know how to set up controls to assure proper use of their authority. Do not be guilty of not delegating for these reasons. MICROMANAGING Micromanaging is when you tell your workers how to do a job and then supervise every step rather than allowing  their  assigned  supervisors  to  run  things.  Once you have delegated a task, let your subordinate do the job.  Be  available  to  give  advice  and  instruction  if needed;  but  unless  your  assistance  is  required,  stay  out of the way. General George S. Patton once said “Never tell people  how to do things. Tell them what to do and they  will  surprise  you  with  their  ingenuity.” Micromanaging l e s s e n s    a subordinate’s self-confidence.  It  also  sends  a  message  to  others  that you do not trust the person to do the job properly. If you really feel this way, do not delegate the task. GIVING ORDERS You have no doubt heard the term  followership. Leadership and followership are two sides of the same coin.  Virtually  everyone  from  the  commander  in  chief 4-4