There’s no question about it; learning to delegate effectively is difficult for most small business owners. No matter how big our business gets and how many employees we have most of us started out as one person enterprise and we’re used to running all of our own show.
There’s also no question that delegation is a skill that’s critical to business success and a healthy work life balance. Even a one person business can get so busy that there’s no way that a single person can do all that needs to be done. And even the smallest of small businesses can take over a person’s life to such a level that causes personal unhappiness and friction within the family.
So take a deep breath. You have to make delegation a priority if you’re going to do what you want to do and stay sane and happy. Practice some of this delegation primer will help you let go and learn how to delegate successfully.
So What Should I Delegate?
I recommend that people delegate first the tasks that don’t directly bring in the bucks. So an IT consultant, for instance, should probably outsource bookkeeping and accounting tasks. It’s just not the way he or she makes money. The purpose of delegation isn’t just to have someone else do something; it’s to free you to focus on using your developed talents and skills most productively. Let’s face it, if you delegate enough of the right things, you can be incredibly more productive. And in terms of service businesses, that translates into a lot more available revenue hours.
How to Get Started Delegating
1) Decide that you’re going to delegate.
You need to admit that you can’t do all the things that you would like to do and stop just trying to do more yourself.
2) Decide what you’re going to delegate.
Is there a particular area where you need help or something that you don’t like doing much? It is probably a good candidate for delegation. Remember that you don’t want to delegate the core part of your business (what brings in the revenue).Remember, what you delegate doesn’t have to be a business task. Delegation is leverage. It is about doing less so you can achieve more or a better balance. A small business owner may find that hiring a maid service to clean the house or a landscape service to keep the exterior of the home in shape gives hours of more time to focus on the business, for instance.
3) Find the people to delegate to.
It’s fine to say that you’re going to delegate something, but if you’re not going to do it, you need to find someone else that you can trust to get it done and do it well. Finding good people may take a bit of a search. Start by asking your friends, family and other business people (like your coach) who they recommend to do what you need done. Finding the right people at the right time is a reason that being a member of various small business groups and networks is so invaluable.
Research the potential candidate and check credentials. Ask him for names of other client customers that you can talk to, and then talk to them. E.g. if you’re looking for an accountant, use a good interview process to help you make the best choice.
Tips for Successful Delegation
Delegate, Don’t Abdicate. Be as specific about what you want done.
It’s no good hiring someone, telling them you need some help around the office, and then complaining because they haven’t done what you wanted them to do. You can’t expect an accountant to provide good advice when you haven’t bothered to sit down with him and talk about where your business is now and where you’d like to see it going. You have to be very clear about what you need done and how you want it done.
Let the person get on with it.
We smile when we hear about the business person who goes on vacation for a week but phones the office or shop ten times a day every day he’s gone, but we’ve all been there. You have to realize that when you delegate something, it’s literally out of your hands and you need to avoid interfering with the process of getting it done. As hard as it is, wait for the end product before you judge how successful the delegation has been (accountability).
Do not delegate a lot of tasks at once.
In fact, if delegation makes you uncomfortable, start by delegating one thing only. Your delegation comfort and confidence level will build over time as you see the job you’ve assigned completed successfully. Then you’ll be ready to delegate something else.
Do not give up too quickly.
By example, my relationship with my first accountant was not a success. He was competent, but I didn’t feel that he was willing to give me enough of his attention. Rather than throw up my hands and start to do my own pathetic accounting again (or putting up with a relationship I was not happy with), I went and found another accountant that I was much happier with. You may not necessarily find the right person the first time. You need to stick with it persist and find that right person if delegating that task is going to work. If you have existing employees, be careful of off loading tasks that they are untrained for or for which they clearly not interested or capable of learning
Delegation goes against the grain for many small business owners who started alone. But if we want both our businesses and our personal lives to thrive, delegation is a critical skill to master. Remember, you can delegate to outsourced people, bookkeepers, virtual administrative assistants, payroll companies and many more……..Jeff