Delegation

Delegation is a key leadership skill. It is at the heart of effective team-working, personal development and succession planning. These resources are designed to help you reflect on your delegation skills and include practical advice, strategies and tips to teach you how to successfully delegate within your team.

Please note that these resources look at general workplace delegation skills and approaches that are applicable across many different workplace settings. They do not cover delegation under the the Veterinary Surgeons Act and Schedule 3. For delegation to veterinary nursing staff within the legal framework, please see RCVS guidance on Schedule 3, the RCVS SUPERB checklist and case studies

General resources on workplace delegation skills

These resources look at general workplace delegation skills and approaches that are applicable across many different workplace settings. Although they can help you reflect on your style and approach, please remember to refer to schedule 3 when delegating certain tasks to veterinary nursing staff (see video and resources above).

Videos and Podcasts

• Overview of the Situational Leadership Model (3.28 minute watch) - this short video introduces Hershey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model as a way of exploring delegation in relation to leadership style.
• Situational Leadership: Getting the best from people day to day (4.12 minute watch) - a video that discusses how Situational Leadership can be applied to get the most out of people.

Articles

• To Be a Great Leader, You Have to Learn How to Delegate Well (10 minute read) - Sostrine, J, (2017), Harvard Business Review. An article from the Harvard Business Review that describes the shift from doing to leading and covers four strategies for delegation.
• 8-ways-leaders-delegate-successfully (5 minute read) - Grayson-Riegel, D (2019), Harvard Business Review. An overview of how emotional reactions and habits can act as barriers to delegation, and the importance of challenging assumptions to change behaviour.   
• Master the art of delegation and gain 5-10 hours a week (5 minute read) Christine Comaford, (2016), Forbes.com. This article from Forbes looks at two processes to enhance delegation and decision making for managers.

Other materials

• Delegation Skills Presentation (PDF, File size 482 KB, 15 minute view) - an overview of delegation skills. Covers the benefits of delegation, a 5 step process for successful delegation and the different levels of delegation.
• Delegating: Authority Skills, Tasks and Effective Delegation (businessballs.com) - a web resource covering the fundamental principles and key approaches to delegation.
• Situational Leadership Presentation (PDF, File size 299 KB, 10 minute view) - an introduction to Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model.