The Art of Delegation

The most challenging thing about being an entrepreneur? Hands-down, delegation!  

As an entrepreneur, you’re the leader of the pack, the creator of ideas, the person with the vision of how these ideas are going to become a reality. It often feels it would be easier to do tasks yourself, and frankly we jump in and do these tasks daily because we are driven to see immediate results.

In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to learn to delegate and surround yourself with a great team, whether in person or virtual, to help you propel forward.

Delegation is not a skill we are all born with. It takes time and focused effort to hone in that skill. Delegation is not jamming a project down someone’s throat. It is also not abdicating.

Too many people use the “hire and hope strategy.” You know the one, you hire the person and hope to hell the person knows what they’re doing. . . Yeah, that’s not a very good strategy.  

Delegation takes work and practice to sharpen the skill. 

Look at every successful entrepreneur, not a single one will stand there and say they accomplish all of their success by themselves.

Unfortunately, many “delegations” are doomed from the beginning. Here is a look at some common delegation problems: 

1. Fuzzy Project Definition
   
   
2. Lack of Clarity of Why You Selected the Person
   
   
3. Poor Instructions to The Individual
   
   
4. Not Giving the Person Check-Ins or Milestones
   
   
5. Failure to Be Clear on Deadline
   
   
6. Failure to Set Clear Expectations on End Product

So, how can you set yourself up for success? 

Here are 3 steps to delegating with authority.

1. Find the Right Person for The Job.
   
   • Get Clear on The Project.
     
   • Get Clear on Your Expectations.
     
   • Get Clear on Who Would Be Best Suited to Do This Project.
     
     
2. Define the Job With Clarity.
   
   • Explain Why You Selected This Person.
     
   • Clearly Articulate the Project in Terms Of:
     
     >Scope of Project
     
     >Scope of Authority
     
     >Tools/Resources
     
     
3. Ensure the Job Gets Completed the Right Way.
   
   • Set Milestones/Check-ins.
     
   • Set Clear Deadlines.
     
   • Be Clear on The End Product.

Key to all of this is to remember it is the “Art of Delegation” and with any art form, it takes some practice! 

You will want to hone this skill, and don’t forget to ask for feedback from those that you delegate to, so you can become more aware of where you need to continue to improve.

Cheers to finding your freedom!!