delegate more often.

​“IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT, DO IT YOURSELF.”

DELEGATING CAN BE SCARY—ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE BEEN BURNED BEFORE AND IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU LIKE THINGS DONE. SO, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, HAVE FAITH THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES AND EMPLOYEES ARE CAPABLE OF DOING A GREAT JOB, TOO, AND USE THE GUIDE BELOW TO DISCERN IF YOU’RE KEEPING A PROJECT BECAUSE IT’S THE SENSIBLE (RATHER THAN TERRITORIAL) CHOICE.  

INSTINCT TO HOLD SOME PROJECTS CLOSE TO THE VEST ISN’T ALWAYS A BAD THING. SOMETIMES YOU REALLY SHOULD KEEP A PROJECT ON YOUR OWN PLATE. THE TRICK IS KNOWING WHEN YOU SHOULD PASS A TASK ALONG.

​DELEGATING IS NOT A BAD WORD. IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL YOURSELF; IT MEANS YOU’RE A STRONG ENOUGH BUSINESS OWNER THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR OTHERS ON YOUR TEAM. USE THE TIPS ABOVE TO REMIND YOURSELF WHEN YOU SHOULD BE ASSIGNING MORE TASKS TO YOUR EMPLOYEES.

​​DELEGATING IS NOT A BAD WORD. DELEGATE IF...

1. IT MUST BE DONE A SPECIFIC WAY 

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE RIGHT WAY ONE OF THE CLASSIC EXCUSES FOR NOT DELEGATING IS THE OLD STAND-BY.  IN SOME SITUATIONS—A RELATIONSHIP WITH A DIFFICULT CLIENT, EXECUTING A PROJECT YOU MASTERMINDED—THIS MAY BE TRUE. OFTEN, HOWEVER, A SLIGHT DEVIATION FROM YOUR PLAN WON’T AFFECT THE FINAL PRODUCT, AND THE TIME SAVED AND SPIRIT OF TEAMWORK BUILT THROUGH DELEGATING IS WORTH THIS RISK.

REMEMBER, IT’S OKAY IF DOING A TASK INTUITIVELY MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHO KNOWS, HIS OR HER INNOVATION MAY EVEN TEACH YOU SOMETHING!


2. IT TAKES LONGER TO EXPLAIN THAN TO COMPLETE BUT DELEGATE IF IT’S A SKILL THE EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO LEARN.

TEACHING SOMEONE TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE. BUT ONCE YOUR EMPLOYEE LEARNS, HE OR SHE CAN THEN COMPLETE THE TASK, TAKING IT OFF YOUR PLATE ALTOGETHER. DON’T HOARD YOUR SUBORDINATE’S RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE YOU CAN’T FIND THE TIME TO SHOW HIM OR HER—GIVING YOUR EMPLOYEES MEANINGFUL WORK IS EQUALLY A PART OF YOUR BUSINESS' GROWTH.

UNLESS IT’S A TRULY A SPECIAL EXCEPTION (SUCH AS THE DAY OF A BIG EVENT), TAKE A “NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT” APPROACH. AND REMEMBER, THE BETTER JOB YOU DO EXPLAINING THIS TIME, THE FEWER QUESTIONS YOU’LL HAVE TO ANSWER IN FUTURE.

3.DELEGATE IF IT’S NO LONGER IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IF YOU TAKE YOUR WORK PERSONALLY, GIVING UP A TASK YOU LOVED CAN BE YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO DELEGATING. AND IT’S NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR THE RECENTLY PROMOTED.

LET’S START WITH WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T DO:
​
YOU SHOULDN’T LURK AROUND THE OLD TASK OR OVER THE SHOULDER OF THE PERSON WHO NOW HAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

YOU SHOULDN’T “JUST HAPPEN” TO BE AT THE FRONT DESK WHENEVER THE REGULARS COME IN, OR DROP BY PROJECT MEETINGS UNANNOUNCED. IT’S NOT HELPFUL—AND IT CAN GET ANNOYING, QUICKLY.

THAT SAID, HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

FIRST, OFFER TO BE A RESOURCE. TELL THE NEW HIRE THAT YOU LOVED THIS PROJECT OR THAT YOU PLANNED THAT EVENT THE LAST FIVE YEARS RUNNING AND ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

SECOND, TRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ENJOYED SO MUCH IN THAT ROLE AND LOOK FOR SIMILAR OUTLETS IN YOUR NEW ROLE.