The Art of Delegation
Let’s talk delegation.
I am three years into managing a team and, while I’m still a work in progress, one of the most important things I’m learning is the importance of being able to effectively delegate.
As entrepreneurs, letting go of control and allowing others to take the reigns doesn’t come easy to us. We have an attachment to our business that is difficult to break but by being able to allow others in, we enable ourselves to take a step back and focus on the big picture stuff.
So how do we learn?
Well, it’s like building a muscle. It takes practice and patience.
If you know you should be delegating more but are having trouble letting go, here are some tips to help you:
Make A List
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Wrong! Over 80% of the people who inquire about my services say to me, “Ash, I want to work with you but I have no idea how to delegate the tasks or where to start?!”.
Here’s how to start. Find a cute notebook and place it beside your computer or laptop. For one week, every time you complete a task that makes you think, “Gosh I hate doing this”, or “I think I could easily show someone how to handle this for me”, or “I would have so much more time in a day if I didn’t have to do this”, write it down.
And there’s your list!
Use A Task Management Program.
Our preference is Asana, however, there are many other fantastic programs such as Trello, Basecamp, ClickUp, Airtable, monday.com, The list goes on and on.
A task management program will allow you to keep your tasks organized in designated groups or folders, keep all pertinent task information in one place and assign due dates so that you and your team (if you have one) can prioritize your to-do list!
Get Comfortable With Giving Up Control⠀
This is the hardest one. As entrepreneurs, our businesses are our babies and that means that we like to have our hands on everything and anything that we can! But if you want to scale your business and stop trading your time for money, you are going to have to learn to give up some control.⠀
If you know you’re someone that will have trouble, start small! Give up control on the tasks you are least attached to and the tasks that give you the most frustration. Before you know it you’ll be giving up control and delegating like a pro!
Reward A Job Well Done
It’s statistically proven that the more you reward people for doing good work, the more good work they will do! An email that specifically says thank you, a quick DM on Instagram with a “you’re a rockstar” GIF, a referral, a bottle of champagne, the way in which you express your gratitude does not matter, what counts is the expression itself.
There’s no doubt that delegating is difficult but by implementing the above tips and creating new processes and procedures, soon you’ll be delegating like a pro (and your business will thank you for it!).