Several years ago, a young woman with a vision to establish her own gourmet shop, opened Kudler Fine Foods in La Jolla California. This store was so successful that Ms Kudler was able to open a second store in Del Mar, and a third store in Encinitas. Within the confines of her establishments Ms Kudler assumes responsibility for hiring and firing employees, buying inventory for all three stores, and interacting with the customers. When the need arises she will tend the cash register, and stock the shelves into the wee hours of the morning. This is a regimen that she maintains seven days a week in order to keep her establishment operating . Which begs the question, how long can she remain viable, and sustain her vision of retiring in 10-15 years without relinquishing some control and learning to delegate some of her activities?
Delegation is the assignment of responsibility and authority to another person for completing a task. It involves trust, knowing your colleagues’ strengths and being clear about the purpose of the work.(Willis,2009). Seemingly reluctant to relinquish the task of buying needed inventory for her three stores leaves Ms Kudler with little time for strategic planning. The benefits of effective delegation can include better productivity, freeing up more time for planning, the development of people and skills and job satisfaction.(Willis,2009). After delegating a task to her subordinates, Ms Kudler is then free to assess the production of, or the lack of production of the employee. If the employee is performing satisfactorily, then Ms Kudler will surely be inclined to praise the employee for their efforts in contributing to the success of the company. If the employee is not performing as was hoped, Ms Kudler can then provide counseling to pinpoint areas the employee might be needing further support, encouragement, and training. Delegation saves time and money as it assigns tasks to the right person at the right level at the...