Must Have Tips for Delegating Effectively

One of the keys to running a successful, profitable business is the ability to delegate effectively. If you really want to get it all done, you can’t keep doing it all by yourself.

Delegating allows you to focus on the things you do best and the things that make you the most money. You can hire other people to handle work that you’re not good at or tasks that are relatively menial.

Let’s say you make $150 an hour doing the work that drives your business. What sense does it make to spend precious hours and energy doing work you can outsource for $25 or even $10? Even if it costs your more to get something done, it may be worth the increased efficiency or higher quality output.

I know I’m probably not the first person to try to convince you of the benefits of delegating. But if you’re not already doing it or you’ve tried it with little success, I’m guessing you have some valid concerns.

Like so many other entrepreneurs, you have difficulty trusting others to do what you know you can do yourself. Or perhaps you feel like it’s just easier and faster to do it yourself. Well, take it from someone who has grown her business by delegating. It can be well worth the effort if you go about it the right way.

Here are some tips to help you delegate effectively:

1. Find qualified help. Make sure you are delegating to someone who is actually capable of living up to your expectations. The cheapest help can often be more expensive in the long run. Ask your network for recommendations, and check out previous work.
2. Figure out what you actually want done. Don’t just throw up your hands and say you need help. Determine precisely what the result will look like. How can you expect someone else to achieve what you envision if you don’t even have a clear vision?
3. Get good at giving instructions. You have to be able to communicate what you want clearly to minimize confusion and avoid misunderstandings. Always include specific deadlines and expectations of progress.
4. Put it in writing. Better yet, get it writing. Ask the person to summarize the instructions you’ve given them, and send it to you for a approval. This way, you can know for sure whether or not the person understood your instructions.
5. Use a tracking system. It could be something as simple a shared spreadsheet or task list, or as robust as a project management system. But you’ll need to have a way to track and document progress.
6. Check progress, but do not micromanage. Don’t let a task or project linger too long without checking in on the status. If so, you may be disappointed, or even get burned. But at the same time, don’t harass people to the point of distraction or give them the feeling you don’t have faith in them. It’s best to set a schedule for checking in and updating each other.
7. Be generous with encouragement. Let her know she's doing a good job, and remind her how much you appreciate the work. A few kind words go a long way in creating goodwill and loyalty.
8. Don’t be afraid to move on. If someone isn’t working out, make an effort to get to the root of the problem. If the issue has been identified and you’ve made an honest attempt to allow the person to improve to no avail, let the person go. Don’t make the mistake of letting a problem linger long enough to have a negative impact on your business.

The worst thing you can do when delegating is to be vague. If a qualified person is given proper guidelines, and you have a systematic follow-up plan, you should be good to go. Now, go start delegating and see how much more money you’ll make.

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