This presentation is designed to teach principles and processes associated with delegating tasks and managing organizational conflict. It underpins a two-hour workshop that is part of Pitt’s University Library System (ULS) Leadership Program. The workshop exercises reinforce the skills of delegating tasks and managing conflicts contextually, using a variety of approaches.

1. ULS Leadership Program
Karen Calhoun
5 February 2013
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

2. Outcomes – Understanding and
Paths to Personal Mastery
1. Understand the principles and process of delegating
tasks
2. Be able to delegate tasks at a variety of levels (1-6)
3. Understand the positive side of conflict and keys to
successfully managing it
4. Be able to apply conflict management skills using a
variety of styles
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3. Agenda Topic Time
Arrival 1:00-1:05 pm
Delegation 1:05-1:20 pm
Personal delegation profile (exercise) 1:20-1:30 pm
Practice delegating a task (exercise) 1:30-1:45 pm
Short break 1:45-1:50 pm
Conflict management in organizations 1:50-2:10 pm
Conflict management styles and cases 2:10-2:35 pm
(exercise)
Case study - reporting and discussion 2:35-2:50 pm
Close and get on shuttle 2:50-3:00 pm
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4. You, without
delegation
Naples Archaeological Museum Picture:
Sculpture of Atlas with Farnese Globe on his shoulders
CC BY SA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atlas_(Farnese_Globe).jpg
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5. Am I Willing to …
 Invest my time in delegating?
 Invest my time in following up and communicating?
 Model the behaviors that the organization needs?
 Actively managing projects?
 Distributing responsibility and accountability?
 Being specific about expected results?
 Helping people get involved, learn and work together?
 Providing feedback, support and constructive criticism?
 Promoting honest communication on problems and
progress?
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6. Principles of Delegation
 Select the right person  Agree on level of
 Delegate the good and authority, what is to be
the bad delivered, when, who
 Take the time you need else involved, what help
is needed
 If you have been under-
 Don’t hover, do support
delegating, don’t try to
transfer everything  Coach (if needed)
overnight  Establish steps and
 Delegate in advance! checkpoints
 Delegate for specific
results
6

7. Your Roles as Chair or Team Leader
+ Delegator:
Be specific – who,
what, when, how?
Chair
+ Sometimes:
Recorder – if you
can’t recruit one
Organizer Facilitator
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8. Delegation = An Interaction Between a Project
Manager and Team Member
 Delegation checklist:
 Describe the work package  Define any parameters or
(task) and expected results constraints
(deliverable)  Explain how much feedback you
 Pass on information needed to expect and when
get started  Spell out how much authority is
 Say if others will be involved and being delegated
their roles  Communicate who is taking the
 Ask for input on duration and lead on this work package (if
availability; reach agreement multiple people are working on
 Ask if training or help is needed it)
8

9. Six Levels of Delegation
1 Look into the situation. Get the facts and report back. I’ll decide what to
do.
2 Identify the issues, propose alternative actions, and list the pros and cons of
each. Recommend one for my approval.
3 Examine the issues. Let me know what you intend to do but don’t take
action until you check with me.
4 Take responsibility for this action. Let me know what you intend to do and
then do it unless I say not to.
5 Take action on this matter and let me know what you did.
6 Take action. No further contact with me is necessary.
9

10. Personal Delegation Profile
(Individual Exercise) – 10 minutes
A. Things I Have B. Things I Could C. Things I Am D. Things I
Already Delegate Uncertain About Cannot Delegate
Delegated Delegating
Instructions:
1. Think about your objectives and tasks (at work and/or at home).
2. Fill out the form above, paying particular attention to “things I could delegate”
3. Choose one task from column B for the next exercise. 10

11. Designing a Delegation (Pairs
Exercise)
 Work in pairs – 10 minutes (5 minutes each person)
 As a pair, take a minute to glance quickly through
slides 6 to 9 and summarize key points
 In turns, and for the task you chose to delegate in the
previous exercise, work with your partner to:
 Choose the level of delegation and
 Design the delegation of the task (using the delegation
checklist)
 Report out as a pair: describe what you learned from
the exercise (max 1-2 minutes each pair )
11

12. Take a Bow and a Short Break!
By: Stoli151. CC BY NC ND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52441769@N02/4947073937/ 12

13. What is
conflict?
“A struggle
between at
least two
parties who
perceive they
have
incompatible
goals.”
Image: from the Cornell University Collection of Political Americana
1864. No known copyright restrictions
http://hdl.handle.net/1813.001/5z90
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14. Conflict Can Have a Positive Side (If
Managed)
 Increased ability to learn and grow
 More information and communication
 More group cohesion
 Better decisions
 More buy-in
 Getting unstuck (out of the box thinking)
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15. Keys to Successful Conflict
Management
 Know your own
habitual thinking
patterns (style)
 Understand others’
habitual thinking
patterns (styles)
 Be able to use different
conflict management
styles
15

16. Styles for Handling Conflict
CONCERN FOR SELF
CONCERN FOR OTHERS
High Low
Collaborating Accommodating
High
(Integrating) (Obliging)
Compromising
Competing
Avoiding
Low
(Dominating)
Sources consulted: Thomas, K. W. and Kilman, R. H. 1974. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Xicom .
Rahim, M. A. 1986. Managing Conflict in Organizations. Praeger.
16

17. Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument
 Self-assessment
 You are not “stuck” with one style!
 All styles have their uses
 See handouts (4)
Competing/Dominating
Collaborating/Integrating
Compromising
Avoiding
Accommodating/Obliging
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18. Spontaneous or Nonspontaneous?
 Spontaneous – when people are exploding with
emotion or rigidly stubborn and an immediate
response is needed
 Non-spontaneous – when you have time to think about
the best way to approach the conflict
18

19. Some Conflict Management Skills
 Attending, active listening, valuing the person (showing
interest and concern, paraphrasing, appreciating feelings)
 Questioning – try to understand person’s viewpoint and
position, ascertain, verify, clarify facts and perspectives
(esp. perceived differences)
 Disagreeing, confronting, contracting: one technique:
 I know ___ (give benefit of doubt) and I appreciate ___ (value
person), but I feel ___ (your own feeling) when ___ (situation
or behavior) and I would like ___ (desired results). How do
you feel about this ____? Let’s deal with it now.
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20. Using Different Styles for Managing
Conflict (Exercise)
 Work alone and in pairs – 25 minutes
 Case assignment (see handout of cases)
 Working alone, review the Rahim table and pages 10-14 of
the Thomas-Kilman handout( “uses” sections under each
style (5 minutes)
 Working alone, use the Rahim and Thomas-Kilman
handouts and the “worksheet,” to analyze your assigned
case (10 minutes)
 Working as a pair, prepare to report out: what did you
decide about which styles to use for your cases? What did
you learn from the exercise? (10 minutes)
20

21. Closing – What Have You Learned Today About
Delegation and Conflict Management?
 Answer this question:
 What have you learned today that you will use tomorrow
or before the end of the week? How will you use it?
 How will you evaluate your progress over the next six
weeks or so?
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22. Thanks for
coming!
Please don’t
forget to fill out
the evaluation
form in
SurveyMonkey!
Photo: Cover of Puck magazine, Feb. 8, 1911. From drawing by Frank Nankivell
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
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