151 Quick Ideas for Delegating and Decision Making

112Authority Versus Responsibility

Authority and responsibility are similar, yet different. And when it comes to delegating, you need to know where to draw the line.

Authority is what your organization has bestowed upon you to get the job done. You give direction, and those placed under your authority are obligated to follow as part of their employment.

But authority can also include responsibilities such as signing off on budget expenditures, hiring additional staff or contract help, or approving a project to move forward.

You may delegate some of your authority, such as if you’re on vacation or out of the office on business. For example, you may delegate staff management to an employee that you trust to make decisions as you would when you’re ...