Most entrepreneurs and small business owners find it difficult to delegate responsibility to others because of the mental blocks that we have built up in our minds over time. We think we can do it better ourselves. It will take too long to explain everything to someone else. Lack of confidence and trust in others to do the job as well as you. Loss of control, insecurity, or there’s just not enough time. Being a recovering perfectionist, I can confess to some of these mental blocks myself.
Good leaders leverage and delegate, so they can make better use of their time and skills. Delegation is a skill that most of us struggle with, and when it’s done, it is sometimes done poorly that it impacts business performance. However, when done correctly you will reap the rewards of effective delegation.
So, are you ready to remove those mental blocks that are standing in your way and open up to the power of delegation? Let’s look at how successful delegation can improve your productivity and scale your business.
Successful Delegation
Clarity
The first and most important thing to do before you start handing over random tasks to anyone is – to be clear and specific on what tasks you want to delegate and to whom.
Take note of what tasks you can do by yourself and what tasks can be delegated to others. For example, it could be repetitive tasks that you do on a daily basis. Be honest with yourself. Just because you’re good at it doesn’t mean you should do it. It could be tasks that you have no expertise in and need a professional to help you with.
Another thing to consider, depending on what stage of your business you are in, is if the tasks can be done in-house or outsourced to a contractor. Whatever it is you decide, make sure the person you are delegating the task to is capable of accomplishing it. You can set up a set of criteria, i.e. skillset, experience, personality type to help you determine whether you have the right candidate.
Determine what you are trying to accomplish
Be clear on what you want to accomplish from the work you are handing over. This is not for the person you are delegating the task to know. Be specific and transparent with them, so they know what your expectations are and what the desired outcome of the project is. Give clear direction and have checklists and procedures in place describing how you would like the task to be accomplished.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Make sure you communicate regularly so you are aware of how the work is progressing. Don’t just leave it to the person you’ve delegated the task to. You can agree on a schedule were you both meet up and discuss any important issues that need to be addressed. There are a lot of excellent application tools out there to enable effective working and ease of communication. Such as Google Drive and Dropbox for storing and sharing files. Project management tools like Asana, Trello, Basecamp. And communication tools such as Slack, Zoom or Skype.
Agree on deadlines
When do you need the task to be completed by? Letting the other person know when you need the task to be delivered, will help them understand the timescale they need to work within to complete the task at hand. From my personal experience, especially working in project management environments, make sure you are prepared for any contingencies that could cause further delays. Sometimes due dates will have to be extended due to a change in requirements or other emergencies. This is why it’s important to communicate regularly and make sure you’re all on the same page.
Give praise and feedback and be open to receiving feedback
Instil confidence in your team by giving praise and feedback once the task is completed. This is a good way to acknowledge others accomplishments and to make them aware of areas where they might need improvement. Be willing to receive feedback from others as well on how it’s like working with you. The next time you delegate something, you’ll both be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and be able to respond accordingly
Lead by example
Take the time to delegate well and ensure a smooth handover. When done correctly, you’ll save yourself so much time further down the road. Let go of your ego and learn to trust that others can do the job just as well. Provided you give clear instructions and guidance along the way. Please do not micromanage, because micromanagement is another way of being controlling and a sign of insecurity. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the whole picture when you’re inside the frame. Focus on a positive outcome and work on building good working relationships with your team. This way you’ll gain more trust from your team and build their confidence. Which in turn will bring you great results.
As your business grows, it will get harder to know what’s going on everywhere all the time. At some point, you’re going to have to delegate some of the responsibilities to keep yourself from getting insanely overwhelmed. Delegating to the right people opens you up to a different way of thinking. You no longer have a one-sided view on things and you can benefit from other people’s views as well. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, it will help you fulfil your personal potential. You have more time to be creative and come up with more ideas that could help take your business to the next level.
I’ll leave you with some great tips from Brian Tracey about successful delegation. Here’s the link to watch the video.
Are you ready to start working on your business and not in it?
Get in touch to see how I may be able to help.
