Delegating

Yesterday I was talking with the overstressed CEO of a small organization who ends up doing herself what she should be delegating to others. She said it takes her more time to describe what needs to be done, how to to it , and follow-up, that it takes her to do the job herself. Yet she is overwhelmed with the work that is on her plate. The inability to delegate is a handicap common to so very many business owners, and significantly limits growth and financial success, as there is only so much one person can do in a day.

Part of the problem is ego, thinking that no one else can do the job as well or efficiently. Part of the problem is trust, thinking that employees will not be conscientious and responsible in doing the assignment. Part of the problem is not wanting to give up control.

If you see yourself overworked because you are not effectively delegating, here are some things to try.

1. For every task you are confronted with, ask yourself if it is absolutely necessary to do it yourself, or whether someone else could do it. There are probably few tasks that positively absolutely need to be done by you.

2. Explain what needs to be done, and how you might approach the job if you were to do it. But here is the important thing: don’t dictate how the job should be performed – the only thing that matters is that the end result meets your expectations. You might be pleasantly surprised by the creativity and ideas that the person will have in his or her approach to the job.

3. Make sure the person has access to all needed tools and information.

4. Give the person a deadline for completing the task, and hold the person accountable for meeting the deadline.

5. Tell the person you are available if questions arise. But, don’t look over their shoulder. Once the task has been delegated, move on to other things and don’t give it another thought until the deadline.

6. If something goes wrong and the job doesn’t get done right, together with the employee analyze what happened so that the next task goes better.

The more often you delegate using these techniques, the easier delegation will become, and the less stress you will feel.