As any business owner will tell you, growing a small business is a rollercoaster of OJT, or on-the-job training. Facing an endless stream of new challenges, business owners are constantly figuring out how to do new things, from marketing to accounting to hiring the right people.
As with anyone, though, certain things come easier than others. One of the toughest things to learn can be delegating: Letting go and letting others share the load. Despite working long hours and being stretched in 17 different directions at once, many business owners still resist the notion that they can’t—or shouldn’t—do it all.
Business coach and strategist Wendy Hearn calls delegating “an essential skill for business owners and managers.” Without it, she says, you’ll never be able to focus on those important areas and tasks that require your expertise and skills. And while some see delegating as a sign that they’re somehow deficient, the reality is quite the opposite: Delegating opens up your day and increases your effectiveness, often many times over.
How will delegating benefit you? Hearn lists several ways:
- More time and energy for priorities
- Fewer details to worry about, less clutter, less pressure
- Increased support and teamwork among employees
- Learning from others’ experience, perspectives and ideas
- Boosting the confidence and skills of your staff
- Enhanced professionalism and effectiveness
- Accomplishing more rather than adding to your to-do list
- Getting more done in less time
- Creating a win-win situation for everyone
Even with so much to gain, Hearn says, many still resist delegating. And the reasons can be complicated. After working so hard for so long, business owners may come to believe that they’re the only ones who can do things well enough or correctly. Or it could be a need to be totally in control of all the details—understandable for owners who’ve always been in charge of all aspects of the business. On a deeper level, Hearn says, not being willing (or able) to delegate may signal that individuals are feeding their egos, satisfying unmet needs or even feeding an addiction to the adrenaline rush that comes with frenetic activity.
Delegating is a big enough deal that, if you find yourself resisting, it’s worth looking into. Could you be afraid of losing control? Losing power? In a weird way, have you grown to like being overwhelmed? Even feeling a bit like a martyr? Once you begin to have an understanding of what’s holding you back, you can commit to making some changes.
Then you can start learning how to delegate. First, Hearn says, make sure you don’t delegate tasks that could be eliminated or automated. And, don’t delegate tasks that you should be legitimately doing. Otherwise, think about how to create the best outcome: Delegate to the person best suited to the task; provide plenty of information; be very clear about your expectations, as well as how results will be measured. Absolutely listen to the other person’s observations and ideas about the project. A big part of learning to delegate is also learning to trust others, respect their ideas and skills and help them build a real sense of confidence and ownership. And don’t forget to acknowledge good work and celebrate successes.
Intuit’s Small Business Blog offers additional tips to business owners for delegating effectively, which will not only help you avoid burnout but which will also help you grow the business.
- Create a list matching tasks with your core skills. This is your do not delegate list.
- Create another list of tasks that don’t require special skills, such as filing or doing invoices. Is there someone who can take these and run with them? Or can you hire an admin or virtual assistant to do them?
- Create a third list of tasks that require specialized knowledge or skills or even a license. Identify professional resources—legal, accounting, marketing—to help with these or take them over entirely.
- Don’t over-delegate. Example: your website. While you definitely want to delegate/outsource building it to a professional, learning a few basic skills (or having employees learn them) will enable you to have routine changes and updates made internally. In other words, delegate the heavy lifting; keep the more routine stuff.
- Keep reminding yourself to let go. Small business owners and entrepreneurs are, by nature, perfectionists. But learning to delegate is an important skill that will expand everyone’s horizons and enjoyment at work.
Image courtesy of ambro/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net