Delegation does not mean that you assign tasks to some one and give them instructions. Effective delegation should empower the employee to take responsibility and execute the job.

Effective delegation also depends upon the work culture as well as the ethics followed by the work group. The employee as well as the manager should be accountable and responsible for their actions.

When the Manager assigns the task. He or She should ensure that the employee who has been delegated the task has understood what is required of her and knows how to go about as well as is equipped to complete the task. Once this is done, the manager should not go about making any further changes in the delegated task.

If an assigned task is repeatedly changed, taken back, re issued or modified time and again, it can disturb the concentration of the employee and can lead to failure due to too much of disturbance. In such a case the responsibility of the failure would lie with the manager and not the employee.

Along with delegation of responsibility comes authority. Authority given by the manager means that the employee is authorized to use the resources at his disposal and make appropriate decisions, which are binding on the organization.

If the employee is fully responsible, you can expect him or her to take all precautions as well as take the necessary initiative to own and complete the tasks as well as continue to run the project even in the absence of the manager or supervision.

As long as the end result what is required to be achieved is clear to the employee, you should let him or her devise own method to complete the assignment and give them the free hand to proceed. All you need to do is to be there only in case he needs your inputs in certain matters. Otherwise you should just stand by and allow him to go ahead with his plan and execute.

The employee who has taken on the project will make mistakes, for it is human to err. But as management you should be tolerant and allow them to make mistakes as well as correct their mistakes. After all one learns by making mistakes and it is also a fact that no one can work without making mistakes.