Over the years I have worked with or consulted for many managers
throughout the world at all levels of industry and government. I have
seen who succeeded, achieved goals, and made progress, and who failed or
crashed. I have studied their methods of operation and their
decision-making approach, as well as the range of people involved in the
decision-making. I similarly personally managed large industrial and
service organizations and their operations, and found that to succeed
and have a content team of collaborators, decision-making had to be
joint and delegated to the lowest competent and informed level. Using
this approach not only improved the performance of the organization or
firm, but also resulted in a more content, professional, cooperative,
happy, and competent workforce. In general, people like to assume
responsibility, particularly of functions with which they are intimately
familiar. They enjoy the role of de- sion-maker and the use of their
knowledge and experience in guiding their and related work. Delegation
of decision-making not only infuses pride and conte- ment but also
assures more informed, timely, and effective implementation of de-
sions. It also adds to worker training and education as workers inquire,
develop information and use of their own experience in improving their
decision-making. Worker pride and feeling of control and involvement
lead to contentment and s- isfaction which, in return, pays dividends in
worker productivity, morale, retention, and resulting low turnover.