The TRUTH about delegation. How to leverage delegation in your business...
Contrary to what many business owners believe, delegation ISN’T simply passing on tasks. Effective, empowering and sustainable delegation runs much deeper.
There are six core components to successful delegation. When you’re aware of all of them, you can address each individually to let go of tasks confidently and effectively.
Let’s dive into those elements and explore the truth about delegation…
1. CLARITY
What does success look like with what you’re delegating? How can you clearly communicate the task AND expected outcome? In addition, why does this outcome matter?
If you can clearly explain the purpose of the task and what completion looks like, you may need to reconsider whether there’s enough clarity for someone else to succeed…
2. TRUST
How much do you trust the person you’re delegating to with delivering the result you need? Letting go of tasks requires a certain level of trust and autonomy. As well as the job at hand, can you also let go of a level of authority in order for someone else to have the autonomy to own the outcome?
Trust plays a big part in avoiding micromanaging and unnecessary mental clutter. There’s no point in handing off tasks to continue to think or worry about them.
What can you do to deepen the trust with the person you’ve identified is ideal to delegate to?
3. ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is something business owners often and quite naturally shy away from. But it’s a crucial component to successful delegation. Remember whilst your delegating responsibility for completion along with the task, you remain responsible for creating the right conditions for them to succeed.
Give them the access, data, insights, permission and share the accountability for successful.
4. GROWTH
Delegation is one of the best ways to achieve mutual growth and development. In delegating tasks you’re also creating opportunities for someone else to strengthen judgment, build confidence and expand capabilities. You’re gaining these things too! Personal growth is good for business.
So embrace delegation as a part of your own life long learning as a business owner and leader.
5. LEVERAGE
When you hit a tricky patch in your delegation journey - perhaps communication could be different or you’re still stressing over results or timescales. Perhaps you’ve thought it would be easier or quicker to just do it yourself. Remember the why - successful delegation gives you leverage! Delegation stops you being the bottleneck and, once mastered, allows you to focus on higher value, more intricate work.
Keep growing through the messy parts with the goal in mind.
6. CONTROL
Feedback without takeover is the optimal balance. How can you remain appropriately involved in the tasks or projects you’ve chosen to let go of without constantly reclaiming control? How can you provide constructive feedback on progress without damaging trust, autonomy or growth?
The deepest shift you can make with delegation is going from ‘how can I get this off my plate?’ to ‘how can do I enable someone else to succeed at something that matters?’
Ultimately, delegation isn’t ’you do this’ it’s ’let’s do this together’! Not only does this latter approach make the cogs of your operations much more efficient, it also makes business more joyful too.
And joy is something we all need more of…
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