Delegation and Other Teambuilding Processes: Transforming Your Department and Programs.

Team building and delegation are two of the most important tools available to division chairs or academic officers for increasing productivity and allowing employees to grow, but they are both often misunderstood, misused, or unused. Teams are small groups with the authority and technical, interpersonal, and managerial skills to carry out projects, initiatives, or other tasks. Team building requires that the effort start at the top, have commitment from the highest levels, be based on trust, abide by established ground rules, include continuous team training, involve shared and rotated division duties, set goals and objectives, hold regular team meetings, involve ongoing feedback and performance evaluation, change the supervisor's role to that of facilitator, and be fun. Delegation occurs when chairs or administrators assign responsibilities and grant authority to accomplish tasks. While delegation will not work in all cases, benefits from its use include the fact that it frees chairs and administrators for other tasks, expresses faith in the team, increases motivation and faculty loyalty, and promotes staff development. Finally, when delegating, administrators should identify tasks that need to be accomplished; assign the tasks to faculty, clearly detailing expectations and authority; provide necessary training; periodically check on progress; review results with the delegate; and provide feedback. (BCY)