Delegation: Win-Win Strategies for Managing Early Childhood Settings.

This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series provides staff management strategies for directors and others involved with the management of early childhood settings and suggests ways to effectively delegate authority and tasks in order to reduce administrative pressures and workload. The booklet presents three strategies to alleviate pressure on managers and enhance a nurturing environment for staff. Section 1 of the booklet describes the use of shared decision making and presents a step-by-step process for incorporating shared decision making in the early childhood setting. This section also details benefits of this approach and describes situations when it should not be used. Section 2 of the booklet discusses situational leadership, a management technique involving working with staff according to their individual levels of confidence and competence at tasks. This section also describes issues involved in rating employees' levels of confidence and competence at tasks and the importance of selecting the appropriate level for each employee. Section 3 of the booklet describes the development and use of job enrichment statements to encourage innovation, creativity, and a positive, constantly evolving approach to any job within the early childhood setting. A sample job enrichment statement is included. (KB)