By Glenda Carry -
Snapshot
- Effective delegation is one of the most important professional and management skills that a principal of a busy law practice can master.
- Principals of law practices must ensure, however, that the delegation and supervision process adopted enables them to comply with their obligations under the Uniform Law.
Abraham Lincoln has been attributed with saying, ‘Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe’. Having the right tools is critical for success in any occupation. Effective delegation is one of the most important professional and management skills that a principal of a busy law practice can master.
You can believe that no-one else can do it as well as you, you can do all the work, put in the hours, sacrifice time with family, friends and the things you enjoy doing, or you can sharpen your axe by fine-tuning your delegation skills. Like most managerial skills, effective delegation takes time and practice but reaps long-term benefits in terms of boosting team morale and improving efficiency and productivity. Delegation allows you to make the best use of your time and skills while also growing and developing the skills of team members. So why don’t more of us do it? Like a lot of skill building, the time and effort are in the front end while the benefits are in the back end.
To get the best results from delegation, you first need to implement a delegation process.
