Sometimes it's necessary to upwards delegate. But even though you delegated task to your boss, you remain responsible for task. In other words, if your boss forgets to sign order, that's your fault. It's your responsibility to keep checking with your boss to make sure task is completed.

- Sometimes a task is upwards delegated even though individual doing delegation is completely capable of doing task themself. This is called "putting monkey back on bosses back". If you're a manager or supervisor, you need to know how to recognize monkey and toss it back to whom it belongs.

Choosing a Delegatee

You would assume that it would always be advantageous to delegate a task to individual most qualified to perform task. That is not always possible because most qualified individual may already be carrying a full load of assignments. There are several reasons why it may be advantageous to delegate a task to an individual who is not most qualified to perform task.

- Growth Delegation. If you always delegate a task to individual most qualified to perform task, you will not be expanding competencies of your department. It's better to delegate a task to an individual that will be required to "stretch" a little to complete task. If all tasks are delegated to individuals who are required to "stretch" a little to complete task, competency of department will always be increasing.

- Fairness Delegation. Some tasks are boring and tedious, while others are interesting and challenging. If you always delegate boring tasks to same individuals and interesting tasks to same individuals, moral and performance of individuals always getting boring tasks will decline. Tasks should be assigned so everyone gets a little good with bad.

How to Delegate

- Make sure delegatee has resources to complete task; tools, time, and authority.

- Make sure delegatee knows task deadline. Make occasional checks to be sure task is progressing. It's not uncommon for a delegatee to receive a higher priority assignment and not mention that they have stopped working on your task.

- Describe in detail what final result of task should be.

- It's not uncommon for an individual to accept a task without faintest clue how to get started. Ask delegatee what their first step will be to begin task.

- Leave as many of details as to how to accomplish task to delegatee. Not everyone applies same skills and methods to accomplishing a task. Let delegatee take ownership and you may be pleasantly surprised with results.

Multitasking

Some people can work on same thing for hours or days without getting bored. Other people will show a productivity drop after working on something for only a short time. The secret to keeping easily bored people productive is to let them multi-task. When they get bored working on one project they can jump to something different, eventually getting bored with second task and returning to first task. Being able to jump from one task to another keeps their overall productivity up.

To make this work, you have to let worker in on plan; otherwise, they will think you are loading them up with too many tasks. You must explain relative priority of each task so they understand which task should get most attention.

Many people don't understand delegation. Proper delegation can make your team into a high performance machine. Poor delegation can result in mistakes, poor quality, and missed schedules. Use delegation techniques described in this article and watch your department's productivity soar.

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ETIQUETTE

Timing matters. No choice here. Arrive 15 minutes early and don’t leave before everyone leaves.

Don’t be first to complain about anything. No matter how it appears to you, company (boss) is putting on affair, and criticisms will be taken personally. Don’t send meat back; don’t complain about how hard chairs are. You’re a guest; be appreciative. Save face.

If boss does complain about something, agree, but be milder about it. Never upstage. If he thinks salmon is "atrocious," don't say, "I thought it was heavenly," or talk about a time when you got instantly ill with food poisoning over salmon one time. If he's got a big personality, he'll probably announce salmon won't do and tell waiter to take back everyone's. If it's more minor than that, say something like, "Yes, I think you’re right, but isn’t risotto delicious?”

Conversation is focus. Comments should never be made about what someone else is eating or isn’t (“What’s wrong Marcia? Don’t you like XX?”) or doing. If someone knocks over their water glass, help them out surreptitiously, but keep conversation going as if nothing had happened.

CROSS TALK

If boss starts a conversation with person on her side, you may do same, but be prepared to cease if boss takes stage again.

Many people find this practice obnoxious, but boss is “the presence,” and it’s their job to hold court. It’s work and it’s expected. Save any personal issues you may have about this for another time.

FISH BOWL

All of us know intuitively that person who isn’t nice to waiter isn’t a nice person at all. You are being watched.

BLEND

Match behaviors. Sedate, or rowdy, attempt to get with spirit of thing. Whatever personal idiosyncrasies you may have about food or spirits, keep it to yourself. No one wants to know that you're on a diet, lactose intolerant, in recovery, allergic to chocolate, or a vegan. Order or eat from what's available, without comment.

METALLIC?

What to wear? Office festive, which means a muted Christmas pin, scarf or tie, but don’t be shouting “Christmas.” Stay within normal range for attire at your office adding only a 'nod' to holidays. If you don't know difference between "professional dress up" and "party attire," you're going to flunk. This is not a time for skins, latex, cleavage, a lot of hairy chest exposed, a jingle bell bracelet, or anything remotely approaching a "costume."

You may feel like Mrs. Santa or Christmas Elf that night, but Monday morning you're going to be HR Director or Senior Accountant, and how can they respect you when they were staring at your exposed breasts across table?

DON’T ENJOY YOURSELF

Sorry, it’s one of most stressful things you can go through. You are trapped for an hour or more of scrutiny, you have to think every moment, and you must’ve relax.

If you're new to this, observe others to know what to do, imitate person you think is most savvy, and resist all urges to stand out in any way. There's nothing wrong with sitting there, smiling, and saying a little when spoken to. Observe with intent of learning. Notice what goes over well and what doesn't, and make mental notes for next time.