In a blog post on Intuit Small Business Blog, Nash, said, “Mastering the art of delegation is key to success in any business, but letting go of control isn't always easy.”
As leaders, it’s sometimes hard to give up control and, because we want our nose in everything, it’s hard to delegate tasks to others.
However, a person’s time can only scale so much - there are only 24 hours in every day. If our goal is to grow, it’s not possible for us to get everything done on our own.
In the post, Nance-Nash offers some expert advice to learn how to delegate.
Give Up a Bit of Control
If you don’t trust the people you delegate work to, you’ll worry, micromanage, and may make a nuisance of yourself. Pick people who are creative and self-motivated enough to work so you don’t have to constantly give instruction. Be sure you really give them responsibility. You can shadow their efforts the first time or two they try the task on their own, but eventually leave them to their own devices.
Hire the Right People
Delegation is an act of trust. The key to being a successful delegator is to hire the right people. The most important part of delegation is to choose the best people for your team and business. You need people who can successfully carry out the responsibilities you delegate just as well as you could.
Chris Smith, co-founder of the management consulting firm Arryve, told Nance-Nash, “If you’ve hired good people, the trust you need [to establish] before you delegate comes faster, and the fear of failure that holds it back diminishes.”
Know What Not to Delegate
Things you don’t want to delegate include items of highly sensitive nature, such as salary reviews and disciplinary actions, and very strategic decisions and work that get you toward the vision and annual goals.
Communicate and Follow-Up
To delegate client-facing work, choose a team member and slowly integrate them as the lead. Introduce them to the customer, begin to include them in emails and/or calls, and have them do the work. Once they take over the client, you still need to communicate with them and make sure things run smoothly. Communication is key. Set measurable goals, and monitor the progress.
Delegation is an important skill to cultivate. It takes a strong person, and a good leader, to delegate tasks. It frees up your time to take the truly important aspects of your business which will lead to greater success.
What is your trick to let go emotionally?
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