We all know how beneficial it is to delegate but it’s also pretty hard for most people to do. So why is it so hard to delegate?
One of the biggest reasons people avoid delegating is that they want to maintain control. And in order to delegate, you have relinquish at least a little bit of control. Some other reasons people avoid delegation include:
Whoever you are, being able to delegate is a skill, or maybe an art, we all need to perfect, to make us effective. Delegating isn’t easy – it is a balance, you have to be firm yet trust the person you’re delegating to.
There’s a lot to take into account before handing over a task. For example, what are you looking to hand over? What kind of ability, personality, judgement, and intelligence does it require? Getting clear on these things makes delegating quicker and easier.
By mastering how to delegate effectively, you’ll realise how much more opportunity you open up for yourself, and your business. Holding on to every single task you’re doing today only guarantees that five years from now, you’ll be stuck in the exact same spot.
Do you feel stressed and overloaded? If so, then you may need to perfect the art of delegation and brush up on your delegation skills!
If you work on your own, there’s only a limited amount you can do, however hard you work. Afterall, you can only work so many hours in a day, and there are only so many people you can serve. And, because the number of people you can serve is limited, your success is also limited.
But delegating tasks doesn’t necessarily mean you have to relinquish full control.
In addition, delegating helps to clear some things off your To-Do List, leaving you with the time and brain capacity to get on with the really important tasks. After all, you can’t expect to put all of your effort into every single task if you’re not delegating.
My July blog discussed my top five tips for delegating. If you are ready to improve your delegation skills, these tips might help you:
Once they’ve got all of the information, resources and tools they need to carry out the task, don’t think your job is over.
One of the most difficult parts of delegating tasks is leaving the delegate to it. That means you’ve got to trust them to carry out the task on time and to a high standard, without constantly checking in on them, sending them reminders and demanding updates.
This is your time to go and get on with ticking off the really important tasks from your own To-Do List. So go and get stuck in to another task – no one appreciates being micro-managed.
But that’s not it. You have to be prepared for difficulties. Implement back-up plans and be ready to help out if things do go wrong. You should be fully aware of what will happen, and the impact, if a deadline is missed. Obstacles and unexpected challenges crop up all the time, for instance technology fails sometimes. Let your delegate trust in the fact that, if something comes up, you will understand and help them to meet that deadline – don’t just let them fail.
Once the task is complete, provide feedback. Structured feedback will help the person you delegated to learn from any mistakes they may have made (we’re all human) and give them confidence in the work they’ve completed.
When providing feedback, try to avoid simply telling them what was done wrong and what needed to be changed, as this will knock their confidence. Instead, focus on both the positives and negatives, informing them what worked well and what needed improving.
When someone does something for you, it is important to thank them, acknowledge the importance of their help, and let the delegate know they are appreciated. A simple heartfelt acknowledgement like, “I couldn’t have done it without you!” can go a long way.
With so many people now working from home, delegating tasks can be even trickier. When you aren’t face-to-face and relying on emails and messages, there are more hurdles to overcome when it comes to delegating. It’s far easier for things to be missed or misconstrued. However, there is a solution – technology – but perhaps that’s for another blog.
If you want the opportunity to brush up on your delegation skills, and perfect the art of delegation, and have a task you can delegate to me, please get in touch.