Building Your Business with Effective Delegation

Many entrepreneurs and small business owners start out because their skill set is in demand and they are in a position for growth and expansion.

Once they are in charge though, trust can become a serious issue. Without proper delegation of duties the owner inadvertently harms their own earning potential by controlling too much of the business.

There is an old saying that every business owner should know by now: a Jack or Jane of all trades is a master of none. But too often business duties that seem like easy tasks become part of a small business owner’s responsibilities.

It could be a decision based on saving money but many times it’s really about not trusting others with parts of their business they see as being so essential they must do them themselves. And oftentimes the owner thinks that it’s just easier to do it themselves rather than show someone else how to do it.

But that’s being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Yes, it takes a little time to train an employee on a task but once that’s done you are free to work on building your business.

This article outlines 5 strategies on how to delegate effectively so you’re comfortable with delegation as a way to grow your business.

1. Track your time

   The first step is to assess yourself and your daily responsibilities. Tracking your time is easy now with all the phone apps available so how you track it is up to you. Keep track of everything including any non-work-related things you do.

   Keep a record for yourself and try a full month of simply jotting down what you do, when you do it, and how long it takes.

2. Analyze your life

   Take your calendar and schedule in some time to review all of your time tracking entries. Look at what is eating up your time that could be delegated to others. Then see what should be delegated.

   If you are able to do so, try judging your own performance. You may be handling the online marketing yourself but how well are you doing? Look at industry stats on performance and compare them to your own.

   Did you spend 10 hours last month fixing the internal email system? Those 10 hours could have been spent elsewhere and if you have any employees with IT experience then that is something you could have delegated. It may have taken less time for them to complete while you focused on some other aspect of your business.

3. Explore your options

   You now have a ledger of what you do and what you could delegate to others. Now you need to find those to delegate to. You may already have a solid understanding of your team’s skills so this part could be easy.

   If not, then it’s a simple matter of holding a meeting and outlining the tasks you’d like to assign. Make it a positive team building experience and convey you are trusting them because they work hard and you’re all on the same team.

   If you can’t find internal help with the tasks you’re not stuck. Freelance work is becoming the norm for many people so reach out to freelancers.

   Trust will be a bigger issue so do your due diligence and get references or read reviews. Many freelancers will be able to show you their value quite easily and it’s not the gamble it used to be. A freelancer’s reputation is essential to their business and they won’t want to risk ruining it by doing a bad job.

4. There’s an app for that

   Saying there is an app for that has become something of a joke because there often actually is. If the task may be simplified or even automated, then using an app is definitely an option.

   This method could even be combined with delegation where the task is assigned and simplified so that someone else can handle what you currently do manually.

   Whether it’s an Android app, an iOS app, or a desktop app you should always check first just in case there is something with a nominal monthly fee that could save you from having to worry about some laborious task at all.

5. Feed the trust

   When delegating, trust is required. Build that trust with positive reinforcement. When someone does something right, let them know how much their efforts are appreciated.

   Even if you feel you could have done a better job yourself it won’t build trust or your team’s capabilities and morale if you focus on the negatives. If something is 20% wrong, it’s actually 80% right. 80% right sounds much better, doesn’t it?

   It doesn’t hurt to point out where there could be improvement but don’t present it as such. Take the responsibility on yourself and suggest the changes you’d like.

   Be open to a dialogue and don’t push your opinion. Employees become defensive just like anyone else and for the same reason: because someone else is being perceived as being offensive and perception is everything. Don’t just allow the conversation, enjoy it.

   Everything is a learning experience and when we learn together we learn from one another. When you have that trust established you’ll find the duties performed improve and you both grow from the delegation experience.

Now start delegating!

If you’ve tried it before with poor results it doesn’t mean you should swear off delegation all together. I help businesses all the time and after working in a variety of industries over the years I’m pretty good at identifying opportunities for delegating that most people too close to the issue just can’t see.

Micromanaging delegated duties defeats the purpose so contact me if you need help delegating duties within your company. It’s rare that a small business is without structural gaps that can be filled. I specialize in working with business owners like you to make the most of your staff so your business grows and you can have more time to do the things you really enjoy doing in and outside of work.