Delegation and Empowerment in Health Care Management

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from Chapter 5 on delegation and empowerment in health care management.

Delegation

A process in which work is assigned to a thoroughly trained subordinate with mutual understanding of expected results.

Empowerment

Proper delegation that is done thoroughly and correctly.

Overdelegation

Delegating above and beyond an individual's capabilities, guaranteeing failure.

Underdelegation

Delegating beneath an individual's capabilities, providing a task that holds no interest or challenge.

Chain of Command

The structure within which individual employees see their supervisor as a single point of support, while supervisors see multiple sources of problems.

Authority and Responsibility

Authority is primarily delegated, but the one who delegates retains final responsibility, including holding the employee accountable.

Failure to Delegate

The condition that limits growth possibilities for the non-delegating supervisor and denies employees challenges and development opportunities.

The Delegation Pattern

The steps to delegate effectively: selecting and organizing the task, choosing the right person, instructing and motivating, maintaining reasonable control, and assessing one's own delegation performance.

Reasonable Deadlines

Specific deadlines for tasks that should not pass unanswered without following up.

Practice Makes Perfect

Proper delegation is a habit that can be acquired through deliberate repetition and practice.