Delegating work to others can be tough. What work should you hand out to others and what should you complete yourself? Who would be best suited to complete each task? Can you trust your employees to do the tasks correctly?
While these thoughts can be overwhelming and cloud our judgement, delegating is essential in the life of an entrepreneur. It allows you to focus on your strengths and for other team members to focus on theirs, boosting the overall productivity of the team. You will become a more organised business owner that stays on top of their work and gets things done.
If you struggle with delegating, here are four things that could be preventing you from delegating effectively and how you can change your mindset and improve your business.
“If I want something done properly, I must do it myself”
If you’re the boss, chances are that yes, you do know more than your subordinates. However, the only way to change that is by delegating, teaching and investing time in your employees. Mistakes may well be made at first, but over time you should see that with a bit more understanding, your team is a valuable resource which can significantly free up your time to work on what’s important and drive your business forwards.
“Everyone already has a heavy workload”
Often, you may withhold from delegating tasks as you don’t want to pile work on your team, leading them to be frustrated and overworked. Instead, you would rather bear the brunt yourself. The best way to overcome this myth is through communication; talk to your team and ask them if they have capacity instead of making assumptions.
“I belittle someone when I delegate them easy tasks”
You may think that delegating simple tasks – such as scheduling, correspondence, and organising meetings – is depreciative of what your staff can offer. However, despite you being capable of carrying out these tasks yourself, it does not make them any less important. In fact, they are likley integral to your business running smoothly. Don’t feel like you’re belittling your staff by delegating them easy tasks, as these jobs are essential cogs in your organisation.
“I won’t be needed if I delegate”
There is also an irrational fear surrounding delegating that if someone else is taking on a load of our responsibilities and doing them well, that we are not needed. This is simply a negative mindset, and no one you delegate work to will be stealing your role. If anything, it will make you excel in your job further as it frees up the time you have to complete other tasks.
