Delegate and follow through

A medical practice depends on an entire chain of delegated duties. The leaders, such as a physician or practice administrator or manager, must delegate tasks essential to the practice, or else he or she will never get to the major challenges of running a business.

Since delegation of duties is so important at all levels of management, handle the process very carefully. Don't fall into a pattern called "dump and run" delegation. Dump and run managers delegate a task to an inadequately prepared individual, describe the assignment vaguely, or disappear from any further involvement with the task.

To prevent this from happening, follow these nine steps:

  1. Select the assignee thoughtfully.
  2. Make the assignment creative.
  3. Provide clear directions.
  4. Target a completion date.
  5. Encourage feedback.
  6. Be available to supervise.
  7. Evaluate the assignee's performance.
  8. Avoid panic situations.
  9. Delegate only what you would be prepared to do yourself.

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