Is it hard for you to delegate? Does it sound like more of a chore to try and deal out tasks to others rather than to just get it done yourself?
If you answered yes, your reasoning is probably valid. It would take too much time to teach someone what you already know how to do. And, what if they mess up and do the task incorrectly? Then it will take even more time to fix.
While these things may be true, this isn't a healthy outlook.
No matter how large or small your company is, you're probably surrounded by employees. While each employee has duties that they are responsible for in order to help make the company run efficiently, they are there to help you as well. You hired them and created their position, therefore you can edit their job descriptions.
As a business owner, it may be tempting to pile many of the to-do's on your plate. But, this will lead to burnout and a stress-filled life.
I realize that there only certain things that you as the CEO can do. And, this is a prime reason why delegation is important. Here are some quick rules to start delegating more consistently:
- Track your time for a week to determine the ongoing responsibilities that you deal with yourself.
- Review these responsibilities and only keep on your list the things that no one else can do or can be trained to do. This should not be a long list.
- Add the remainder to a delegation list.
- Prioritize the delegation list. Start with the items that take the most time and are frequent. This will justify training someone else to do it or taking the time to plan out the delegation and review the work.
- Begin delegating the top 5 things on the list.
Remember to delegate responsibility with the tasks. The person needs to understand the big picture and have the authority to get the job done.
In the long run, delegating helps you and empowers your team. This will provide more bandwidth for your company as whole and allow you to grow.
Delegating to your employees displays your confidence in them to handle the given responsibilities. This builds a community of trust between you and your team.
But, the trade off is to clear up your daily agenda in order for you to be more effective as a leader and to build trust between you and your employees.
If you have any questions feel free to email me at ryan@ryancbailey.com or call (404) 421-8120.
Ryan C. Bailey is an Executive Coach who helps business leaders develop in-demand high performing teams.