In recent years, more and more people have taken up the idea of entrepreneurship. In practice, however, ensuring the long-term viability of your business is often more difficult. If your company is growing fast, for example, your days are likely to be very full. Chances are, you need to focus your attention on different aspects of your business. But you can’t be everywhere at once. It’s as simple as that! And that’s why you really need to consider delegative management.

The principle is quite simple. It’s based on sharing responsibility. This allows you to offload certain tasks, so that you can focus your energy on other aspects of management. What’s more, it’s a highly effective way of giving your team more freedom. All team members will be more likely to show initiative. And productivity naturally increases. It’s even considered by many to be the best management style for this reason alone.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is delegative management to begin with?

First and foremost, it’s a management style that involves transferring decision-making power to one or more team members. Generally speaking, it’s the manager who assigns these people. He or she entrusts them with specific tasks, such as monitoring performance or drawing up schedules. The manager plays a relatively passive role here. His main task is simply to identify and formulate the company’s objectives.

It’s probably for this reason that we often refer to the “laissez-faire” approach when we speak of delegative management. In effect, the manager leaves total control to the individuals he has chosen to represent him. This applies both to the work itself and to the breakdown of objectives into small sections. This sharing of responsibility can take place at several levels of the organization. The manager may, for example, designate people to be responsible for each department, then for each project, and so on.

But he may also decide to entrust all tasks to his entire team, so that everyone can organize their work as they see fit. This is the first advantage of delegative management. It’s also its main distinction from classic management (or authoritarian management), which tends to give clear directives.

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF THIS DELEGATIVE APPROACH?
This management style is essentially based on empowering employees. The manager gives them a certain amount of freedom so that they can make the most of their skills. However, this management style can also take the form of consultative management. In other words, it can involve the whole team in the decision-making process. Here, teamwork can be found at every level.

However, delegative management is not quite the same as collaborative or participative management. The manager still wields supreme power. It is the manager who defines the objectives to be achieved and the results to be obtained. It’s only the way to get there that team members have to figure out. From this point of view, there are a few distinct principles that can be applied.

Collaboration (between employees, of course, but also between employees and the manager). Here, bottom-up, cross-functional communication takes precedence.
Discretion (on the part of the manager). With delegative management, the manager must let his team work without his close supervision. In fact, this is one of the keys to this management style.
Skills. This is the criterion on which the delegative approach is based. It aims to separate tasks, and to entrust each person with a mission he or she is sure to be able to carry out in the best possible way.
Initiative. This is another important point that gives employees sufficient flexibility. The manager encourages them to redouble their efforts in carrying out a task and in solving (or preventing) problems.

WHEN TO APPLY DELEGATIVE MANAGEMENT?
It’s true that this approach can be considered the best management style. But to get the most out of it, you also need to know when is the right time to apply it. Quite simply, it’s imperative. You need to adapt your leadership to the real needs of your team and your company. In particular, it can be an excellent choice for a start-up with young talent. A dynamic corporate culture (often found in such institutions) often demands more freedom and flexibility.

This is precisely why delegative management can be so effective. Conventional or directive management is not really what employees want. Instead, they’re looking for recognition at work, and an appreciation of their skills. And what better way to do this than to let them plan and organize their work as they see fit? As they’re bursting with energy, they need something to harness it. They’re learning at the same time, so they’re more likely to show initiative. Motivation will win over the whole team, which, we recall, is an essential factor in ensuring a company’s development.

On the other hand, delegative management may not be the best alternative if you work in a highly regulated sector. If decisions have to be taken very quickly, it’s always better to opt for classic management. Similarly, if employees aren’t enthusiastic enough about taking on too much responsibility, it’s also best to avoid it. To ensure that they still have a sense of belonging in this case, consider consultative management. In other words, assess your company’s actual situation before deciding on the best management style to adopt.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF DELEGATIVE MANAGEMENT?
Like any other management style, this particular approach has both advantages and disadvantages. Among the strengths are the following examples.

Reduced risk of work overload. You don’t have to manage every detail. You simply have to learn to delegate and trust your team. And you relieve yourself of certain responsibilities by simply giving a clear directive to someone else to take them on for you.
Collective enthusiasm. Indeed, there’s nothing like delegative management to prove to your staff that you’re aware of their value. It’s crucial to keeping them motivated. And it’s also what will encourage them to take new initiatives.
Minimizing conflict situations. Each member knows what he or she has to do. They are also more aware of their own value, and therefore have greater self-confidence. And when your employees have this advantage, conflicts become rarer.
Optimizing working time. Everyone does what they do best. So with delegative management, tasks get done faster. And you, as a manager, can concentrate more on other aspects of your business, rather than spending your time monitoring what your team is doing.

AND THE DOWNSIDE?
This approach’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. The manager doesn’t necessarily impose his or her presence, even with consultative management. This means that employees can sometimes overlook the importance of hierarchy. Some more “assertive” members may therefore want to take their place. Yet this is not at all the aim of delegative management.

Similarly, it’s sometimes difficult to see the limits to effective management. When you give clear directives, but don’t adopt the right tone to share your messages, for example, the risk of being compared to a toxic manager can be increased. On the other hand, if you “step aside” too much, you can see some of your colleagues undermining your authority. They may take decisions for you, without consulting you first; persuading themselves that it’s in the company’s best interests.

Delegative management can also be detrimental to communication and information sharing. As the manager only sets the company’s objectives and then withdraws, employees won’t always be able to ask the questions they want. This can also be a problem if you’re just starting out. In this case, your employees may not yet have all the know-how they need to carry out their tasks. So it’s probably a good idea to support and train them first, before entrusting them with major responsibilities.

SO, HOW DO YOU APPLY DELEGATIVE MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVELY?
Like all the different management styles we’ve seen recently, the one we’re discussing today needs to be applied under the right conditions. That’s the only way to get the results you want. So, here are a few practices you can put in place.

Encourage communication. Whether at the start of a project or throughout. Be clear from the outset about the company’s objectives and your expectations. Share your vision so that your team becomes aware of it. Even if, with delegative management, team members have the freedom to choose the way they think is best for organizing their work.
Be tolerant of mistakes. It’s simple: mistakes are part of success. So don’t be too strict if you see that your colleagues don’t get it right first time. On the contrary, give them the opportunity to take advantage of every situation to hone their skills. One of your roles as a manager is to provide the support your team needs to keep moving forward.
Strike a balance between non-interference and intervention. With delegative management, it’s crucial to know when to withdraw completely and when to step in. Indeed, even if you delegate tasks, you also need to step in and put things right sometimes. So use your knowledge, experience and know-how when you feel your team needs it.
Set up the right working environment. This may involve the work tools provided, training or even encouragement. Don’t hesitate to call in a business coach before introducing delegative management, if necessary.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BECOME AN EXCELLENT DELEGATIVE MANAGER?
Being a good manager can’t always be improvised. It could therefore be particularly beneficial to undergo some “formal” training so that you can identify which management style is best suited to your company, but above all to your personality. This can be particularly important if you’re just starting out in this field. Professional coaching can provide you with the tools you need to push your team towards success. At the same time, your employees will be able to develop their full potential.

In any case, delegative management requires a few key skills to be fully effective. Good to know:

The ability to federate, so that your team unites around the same vision and works together to achieve your company’s objectives;
Interpersonal skills, which are essential to ensure that communication (top-down, bottom-up, cross-functional) runs smoothly, whatever the situation;
The ability to anticipate and prevent risks;
The ability to make well-considered, unbiased decisions at all times;
A sense of preparation and organization, so that delegative management really bears fruit, but also so that you are never overwhelmed by responsibilities.

In any case, developing your leadership skills and becoming an outstanding manager is only possible if you also boost your self-confidence. So pay constant attention to this.