As the owner of your own business one of the hardest things to do is to let go a little, and delegate work to an employee. Your business is your baby, so it\u2019s not only emotionally difficult but also a bit frightening to face giving up total control, even when you reach the point where you realise you are stretched too thinly to manage everything yourself.<\/p>\n
If your business is going to grow, you need to know what to delegate, and how, and stop making excuses like \u201cI do it quicker\u201d or \u201cI do it better\u201d. Not only will delegation allow you some breathing space, it will help your employees develop their skills, mould your team into a cohesive workforce, and leave you freer to focus on the future direction of your company.<\/p>\n
A good maxim I read somewhere once goes \u201cyou have to know when to delegate down so you can rise up\u201d.<\/p>\n
There are a few things you need to tell yourself about delegation: it is not laziness or work avoidance; it isn\u2019t a sign of weakness on your part; and just because someone else does a task differently to the way you do it, doesn\u2019t mean he\/she is doing an inferior job.<\/p>\n
Delegating is no easy task. It takes a great deal of effort initially. You need to decide what tasks it would be appropriate to delegate, then find someone suitable to perform them, and comprehensively instruct and inform that someone.<\/p>\n
Make a list of the tasks you regularly perform to keep your business running smoothly. Keep those that can\u2019t do without your input (like recruiting or pitching for new business), and evaluate the rest as possibilities for delegation. Good candidates for delegation are jobs that are routine, outside of your area of expertise, provide the opportunity to develop an employee\u2019s skills, and tasks that you will have the time and patience to train another to do successfully.<\/p>\n
When choosing an assistant or employee to delegate to, obviously the first criterion is someone who has the ability to do the task in question. It may be a new task you are teaching, but in that case you must be sure the person involved has the aptitude and traits required to learn and fulfil the task. You also need to be sure the person chosen has time for the work, and is keen and ambitious enough to take it on.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re hiring a person for a specific job, make sure you choose a person with the right skills and experience, not necessarily the cheapest option or the first one who comes along.<\/p>\n
Successful delegating depends mainly on establishing a goal and standards to stick to, rather than dictating the method. You will need to be absolutely clear about conveying to your delegate what you want him\/her to do, and what your expectations are.<\/p>\n
Initially you will need to devote time to overseeing how the process is going. Make specific times to check in with your delegate, and spend time reviewing what they are doing, and discussing progress and mistakes made, but avoid micro-managing.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be afraid to introduce accountability and consequences for goals not reached or quotas not met. Conversely, reward a job well done, and show your appreciation.<\/p>\n
It may seem like a lot of hassle at first, but if you are patient and persevere you will be rewarded by being able to develop trust and faith in the person to whom you are delegating. In turn, that person will feel valued, learn new skills, and learn to take responsibility \u2013 all good qualities that they can invest in your business going forward.<\/p>\n
Delegation should not be viewed as a hardship, but rather as a way of positively developing a trusted team you can rely on, giving you more time to focus on the high level tasks and things that really matter to you and your business.<\/p>\n