As a business owner, it’s natural to want to take control and handle everything yourself. You may have a tendency to think that no one can do things as well as you can, and when you delegate tasks, you may not see the results you want right away. It’s easy to get frustrated and tempted to say “Screw it, I’ll do it myself” and take the project back instead of working through the process of training your team to be effective and take things off your plate.
But it’s important to remember that the only way to build a business that can grow without your daily involvement is to put the proper team and systems in place. Even if a team member doesn’t complete a project as well as you could, there is still enormous value in having them save you time. And as you continue to give them feedback and support, they will only get better and better at their job.
The goal is not to have every task completed perfectly the first time, but rather to build a team that can competently handle tasks without constant supervision. It may take some time and effort to get there, but the growth and freedom you’ll achieve as a result will be well worth it. The key is to learn to delegate effectively and let go of the need to control every aspect of your business. Remember, the only way to truly achieve the growth and freedom you’re seeking as a business owner is to get out of the way and let your team shine.
Here are some tips for effective delegation:
- Clearly explain the project details and the result you are looking for. It’s important to provide as much context and direction as possible so that your team member knows exactly what is expected of them.
- Set clear deadlines. This helps ensure that tasks are completed in a timely manner and also gives your team member a sense of responsibility and ownership over the project.
- Provide the necessary resources. Make sure your team member has everything they need to complete the task, whether it’s access to certain software or information about the project.
- Give some creative leeway. While it’s important to provide direction, it’s also important to allow your team members to use their own skills and expertise to complete tasks in their own way.
- Establish clear communication channels. Set up regular check-ins to discuss progress and provide feedback. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and prevent any misunderstandings.
- Follow up and give feedback. After a task is completed, take the time to review it and provide constructive feedback. This will help your team members improve and grow in their roles.
- Point the team member to an existing policy or procedure they should follow if one exists, or ask them to create one if this is a task that will be repeated multiple times where one should be created.
- Consider creating a keyboard shortcut or delegation template that you use to help fill out all the project details when you delegate to someone. This will help ensure that you don’t forget to include any important information.
If you follow these steps and feel like a particular team member still isn’t doing the job well, check out this article on handling staff performance issues for details on what else you should try next.
