Delegation Mistakes You Are Most Likely Making

Being able to delegate tasks and projects to others on your team is a crucial skill to have as a business owner. Not only does it help free up your time to do more high-value tasks, it also empowers those on your team to really shine in their role and take on more responsibility in your absence. It allows you to work toward the ultimate goal of having an owner-independent business. And while delegation sounds easy enough, there are plenty of pitfalls along the way that can make it difficult to properly hand over tasks in an efficient manner. So today I want to share with you some delegation mistakes that I see business owners make and how you can prevent them in your own business.

Inconsistency

One of the biggest delegation mistakes I see with other business owners is their inability to be consistent with their delegation strategy. This includes inconsistency in how they follow up with team members, hand off tasks and projects, and hold somebody accountable. And these inconsistencies can make it difficult to really do a smooth handoff. Make it a habit to do your handoffs the same way each and every time, so that you not only remember all the steps but your employees know what to expect of you as well. There will be no more guessing on when you will check in, as they’ll have past behavior as an indicator of future behavior.

Micromanaging

Micromanaging is another mistake many business owners make. Especially if it’s a low-stakes situation or if you have a high-capability person that you’re handing off to, by micromanaging the project, you’re telling your staff member, “I don’t trust you even to learn to do something easy and simple. You’re not a capable person at all.” And the same goes for even a complicated project if the person you’re delegating to is a high-capability person. Instead, be clear on your expectations and information needs. Let the other person know when and how you would like check-ins to happen and what information you would like to be presented with. Not only will this make things go a lot smoother but it also helps instill a sense of confidence in your team members that you trust them to get the project done and to specs.

Hoarding

The final mistake that people make when delegating is hoarding projects and tasks. “I’m not going to let anyone else do it. I’m going to go ahead and do it myself. I am too busy.”  You may convince yourself that it takes too much time to hand off the task. Which is true the first time you delegate something. But as you delegate something the second, third, fourth, and fifth time, it gets easier and easier. So, the more you practice the skill, the better you will get and the more time you will save in the long run.