Delegation. It’s such a short word, but one that can have a monumental effect on business.
If you’ve been part of a large corporation, there’s every chance you’ll have been put through expensive training programmes to have ensured you master it.
However, if you’ve been thrust into the hustle and bustle of self-employment – you’re almost left alone.
This can be dangerous. After all, there comes a point, even in small businesses, where you can’t do everything yourself. Deciding who to give what is a difficult skill – and this is where today’s post will come into play.
You need to know what you’re good at and what you’re not.
It’s no good trying to complete tasks you’re not good at – it’ll take you longer and cost you more in the long run. You need to be honest with yourself and know your limitations.
Let’s start with some of the obvious examples. Unless you happen to be going into the financial sector, accountancy tasks are probably best left to the experts. Trying to do this independently is bordering on ignorant; it’s a specialist field that needs to be correct from the outset.
However, as with anything, there’s a fine balance. It’s all about understanding which tasks should be delegated and which shouldn’t. On the other side of the coin, we have arranging your insurance. If this is a specialist type of insurance, such as professional indemnity, you’re best to deal with this as you know your own risks.
Don’t just give away the mundane tasks – encourage creativity and independence.
This is a trap that a lot of business owners fall into. They see delegation as a way of getting rid of tedious and time-consuming tasks and nothing more. However, if you do this, you’re not achieving anything in the long-term – even if it might immediately feel like you’re freeing your time up.
You should be aiming to delegate tasks that will encourage your team members to be creative and independent. This could be anything from coming up with new marketing ideas to designing new products.
Sure, there will always be tedious, time-consuming tasks that need doing, but think bigger than this. If you’re going to be driving a successful business for the long term, try and think about what will stimulate others in your team. If you don’t, you’ll regularly delegate, but not because you are growing. Instead, it will be because of the turnover rate in your company, with team members coming and going as they seek proper work-based stimulation.
Be prepared to let go – but only if it’s the right thing to do.
This is the most challenging step for any business owner. It’s hard to let go of that sense of control and trust someone else to do things in the way you want them done.
However, if you’re not prepared to do this, you’ll never really be able to delegate appropriately. It’s all about giving people the freedom to do things their own way, as long as the overall outcome is what you’re looking for.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t offer any guidance – but ultimately, it’s their task, not yours. This is a difficult concept to get your head around, but it’s essential if you’re going to be able to grow your business.
