Good Delegation: 8 Helpful Hints

Good delegation is a critical management skill. Just about every entrepreneur knows that being a “business owner” means working multiple jobs. This can be a challenge when first starting out. After all, you struck out on your own to chase your passion, not to play the part of an accountant or advertising agency, but your dedication to your business meant that you were willing to take these responsibilities head-on.

However, as your business grows and your schedule becomes more cluttered, you simply won’t have the time to do everything yourself. Eventually, the time you spend making appointments with your clients or negotiating with your vendors will get in the way of your primary duties and, as a result, cut into your revenue stream. Eventually, you’ll need to start delegating for the good of your business and your own sanity.

In layperson’s terms, delegating means assigning a task to one of your employees. Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done!

1. Letting Go

The desire to micromanage can be overwhelming. It doesn’t necessarily make you a control freak; it’s your business and you simply want things done the right way. But this impulse can be destructive and must be overcome if you are to delegate effectively. Micromanaging your employees not only breeds distrust but invites undue stress on yourself as well.

Asking for help can be hard. It can also be hard to watch someone taking on a task that you are sure that you could do in half the time. Take a deep breath, be patient, and let go. Just as your employee is learning new skills, you’re learning how to delegate, too. It can help to start with delegating smaller, less “essential” activities. Once you’re have a better idea of which employees you can trust, delegating complicated tasks will be easier.

2. Time Management

One major component to effective delegation is time management. Only by understanding how your time is spent can you know how to rework things in the most efficient way. For example, if a lawyer realizes that a third of his time is spent on unbillable work, that means that a third of his time isn’t going towards the duties that actually earn the firm money. This unbillable work could likely be passed on to a paralegal or other assistant so that the lawyer can focus on the work that only he or she can do.

3. Employing the Right People

Good delegation requires competent employees that you can trust to do what is assigned to them. When interviewing potential employees, make sure to evaluate for their ability to handle unfamiliar situations in addition to looking at their work experience and education. However, it’s not just their history that matters – you’ll want to try and gauge their potential, too. While you might not have a bookkeeper on staff, that college student with a passion for mathematics could still help you crunch the numbers with a little guidance.

A deeper dive into finding the right employees for your business can be found here.

4. Record Keeping

Seriously. No matter how minor the process or how seemingly inconsequential the information, you need to document everything about your business. For instance, step-by-step instructions for standard procedures can keep your business running smoothly. They provide a helpful resource for new hires and forgetful employees, while also saving the time that would be spent waiting for instructions or for questions to be answered.

5. Provide the Necessary Tools for Success

As the business owner, delegating is going to require a little more from you than just barking out orders. You need to be able to explain with great specificity just what it is that you want to be accomplished, what sort of time frame it should be done in, and how your employee should go about making that happen. You should also make sure that you’re calling on the appropriate people for the appropriate tasks.

Delegating a task to an ill-equipped employee only results in frustration for all involved. After all, you can’t expect a fish to excel at climbing trees. Think about the tools and information needed to get the job done. If you don’t provide the necessary ingredients for success, then you shouldn’t be surprised by failure.

6. Good Delegation Utilizes Technology

It’s the 21^st century. If you aren’t using technology to maximize your business, then you are painfully behind the curve. Time tracking apps and project management software can help keep employees accountable and help everyone stay on top of their workflow. This way, everybody’s responsibilities are clear and there’s less of a risk that something can fall through the proverbial cracks. Personally, we recommend monday.com for its ease-of-use and endless versatility.

Communication is critical. Make the most of communication tools like email, teleconferencing, and instant messaging systems. You might also want to consider a digital “drop box” to help store and manage your important documents in a consolidated manner.

7. Empowering Your Employees Through Ownership

Businesses benefit greatly by empowering their employees. When you give someone complete control over an assignment, it emphasizes your confidence and trust in their abilities and helps them develop both as a person and as an employee. Allowing them to handle things from start to finish gives them more ownership over their work, too, and increases accountability. This also frees up the time that you have to focus on what really matters instead of sitting over their shoulder and playing the “back seat driver.”

8. Give Your Employees Feedback, NOT a Tongue Lashing

If the only time you give feedback to your employees is when they make a mistake, then you’re doing it wrong. This will only destroy their morale and make them resent you. It is imperative that you give genuine, detailed praise for a job well done. Positive reinforcement can go a long way. When your employees do make mistakes, try to offer constructive criticism and encouragement instead of vitriolic reprimands. Being open, honest, and generally reasonable with your employees encourages them to do the same with you. This is critical to maintaining the employer-employee relationship and to effectively delegating as well.

Looking to start a business or grow your current business? Contact FL Patel Law today by visiting our website or calling 727-279-5037.