What’s that one skill every successful entrepreneur needs to grow their business? Delegation it is. Delegation doesn’t just mean assigning work to others; rather, it’s about using your team’s strengths in the best way possible.
By delegating effectively, entrepreneurs can improve their business, come up with new ideas, and work more efficiently. According to a Gallup study, “CEOs who delegated effectively generated 33% higher revenue than those who didn’t.” (source)
Want to get better at delegation? Read the blog to find out the steps used by business owners to stay ahead in the fast-changing environment.
Why Delegation Feels Difficult for Entrepreneurs
Many business owners refuse to delegate for the following reasons:
- Fear of Losing Control: They worry that others won’t do the task correctly.
- Perfectionism: They think that only they can meet their quality standards.
- Trust Issues: They fear mistakes when someone else manages the work.
- Time Investment: They believe that only they can handle and finish the work more quickly.
- Guilt: They feel uncomfortable asking others to do work.
You need to understand that trying to handle all the work hinders business growth. Therefore, it’s recommended to guide and support the team by delegating some work.
7 Easy Steps for Entrepreneurs to Master Delegation
1. Change Your Thinking
In the initial stage of business, you were the one to handle all the tasks. Most of them had felt boring or difficult too. For example, you were someone who hated maths or accounting or wasn’t even a social media fan. Over time, you learnt to succeed in all areas because you didn’t want these weaknesses to hold back the business.
Before delegating, think about what you do well and what you find difficult. Also, look into the skills the team hasn’t had the chance to use. Be an entrepreneur who understands their unique abilities. Then start assigning work properly and identify the roles that need to be filled.
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2. Consider Your Resources
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Time is money.” Most entrepreneurs have an imbalance between these two factors. That’s why some business owners have more time and no money, while others have more money and no time. First, understand what is wrong with you, and then start delegating.
- When there’s more time than money: Entrepreneurs handle all work, as they are worried about trusting someone else to handle their work. Or maybe they don’t have enough money to hire a full team. In this case, try outsourcing small, boring, and repetitive tasks such as bookkeeping or accounting. Later, start delegating bigger tasks, such as hiring someone new to handle all website and social media-related tasks.
- When there’s more money than time: Business owners may fail to focus on everything as the business grows. In this case, delegate most bigger tasks to save time and manage stress. With a higher budget, consider outsourcing core area tasks such as marketing and design.
3. Document Your Processes
Don’t just hand over your work to others without explaining how and when it needs to be done. For easier task completion, create a step-by-step guide called an SOP. This ensures that all tasks run smoothly even in your absence. How to make an SOP for successful task completion:
- Write down all the steps and do the tasks several times, and also note down every step you take.
- Go through the notes and check for inconsistencies. In that case, make the instructions clearer and simpler.
- Perform the tasks only following the SOP. Also, fix anything that seems confusing or irrelevant.
4. Choose the Right Team Member
Entrepreneurs feel relaxed when they give tasks to a trustworthy person. The trust can be achieved by choosing the right person for the job. Here’s how you can find one:
- Before delegating work, ensure that the team member, new hire, or outside person has the right set of skills or not.
- Don’t expect one person to be an all-rounder. For example, an accountant can only be an expert at accounting and not at coding and designing.
- Assign specific tasks to those individuals who are experts in that particular area.
- When outsourcing, make sure their business principles and approach match your business values.
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5. Share Your Expectations
Don’t delegate when you can’t explain properly what the goal is. Yes, clearly explain what the final result needs to look like and when it has to be done. Most business owners may not have specific expectations, especially when outsourcing creative work such as writing and designing. Proper communication helps to lower stress and the person doing the work gives their best performance, too.
6. Provide Useful Feedback
As an entrepreneur, give clear and kind feedback to the person who completed the task. Praise them when they have done it up to your expectations. Also, when something has to be improved, tell them what to follow next time for better results. When feedback is given this way, people do tasks happily and are more likely to make improvements.
Benefits You’ll See When You Learn to Delegate
Delegation benefits both the business and your personal workload. Here’s how:
- Entrepreneurs can focus more on long-term growth instead of daily tasks.
- Employees feel more engaged and trusted.
- Increases productivity
- Lower stress levels help in making better decisions.
Conclusion
Don’t worry; learning to delegate effectively takes time for entrepreneurs. Understand that things are likely to go wrong in the first few months. Never give up just because delegation isn’t bringing instant results. Through proper communication, feedback, and assigning the right task to the right person, it’s possible to master delegation successfully.
Want to delegate smaller tasks to your team? Follow the steps discussed in the blog and start delegating effectively now.
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