If you want something done right, you should do it yourself. Right?
Wrong.
It's especially wrong in business. To be successful in business, you have to learn to delegate.
Consider what these successful businesspeople said about delegation.
"No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit." - Industrialist Andrew Carnegie
"If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you've got to learn to delegate." — Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson
"You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night, and then share, delegate, delay, or skip the rest." - Kiva founder Jessica Jackley
Delegation in management is the act of transferring responsibility for work you are doing to someone else. Business leaders often do as much work as possible themselves to save money when the business is young.
This approach becomes unsustainable as the business expands. Some executives struggle to relinquish responsibilities, fearing that others may not perform as well or care as deeply. They ultimately feel overwhelmed, resulting in a plateau in business growth.
Delegation in business is essential because companies cannot grow without it. If an executive fails to delegate, the organization will be restricted to the time that executive can devote to it. Ideally, you should be seeking individuals who are better suited than you for specific business functions.
Effective delegation management enhances your business, as trusting your employees with responsibilities fosters their loyalty and commitment to your organization. When you give your employees more responsibilities, it creates growth opportunities that others will recognize within your organization. This approach will help you attract and retain high-performing workers.
Delegation in management transfers responsibility for work you do to someone else. Business leaders often do as much work as possible themselves to save money when the business is young. This approach becomes unsustainable as the company expands. Some executives find it difficult to relinquish responsibilities, fearing others may not perform as well or care as deeply.
Consequently, they become overwhelmed, leading to a plateau in business growth.
Business leaders can delegate numerous tasks via internal hiring, outsourcing, or contracting, including:
These tasks are not central to your business and require expertise that executives do not have. A software business leader is not an advertising expert, for example. The delegation that executives often struggle with involves work integral to the business. They keep the company moving forward but are not appropriate for the executive role.
I.e. your administrative work.
Examples include:
On average, executives spend 16 hours a week on administrative tasks, which is two full days per week. While necessary, these tasks do not require executive judgment and leadership. The procedures to execute these tasks are easy to document and hand off to someone else.
When your to-do list grows faster than you can cross things off, it is time to consider delegating responsibilities. Here is how to get started.
It's important to delegate the right work to the right resource.
Review the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Who has the experience or knowledge needed to handle the tasks? Or who would you like to train for additional responsibilities? If you lack internal resources, are there contractors or agencies available to take on the work?
The best way to delegate a task or function is to document your processes and preferences. For example, if you are going to have someone else schedule your meetings for you, you can detail your preferences for:
Recording your procedures and preferences simplifies the transition for someone to assume the task and facilitates replacing them if they leave the organization.
This means:
Why do executives resist delegation? Well, because delegating is not easy. It takes some front-end time and attention that seasoned multitaskers find challenging. There are several reasons executives resist or avoid delegating:
Whether fear, ego, or procrastination causes executives to resist delegation, it has to happen for a business to grow beyond what one person can manage.
So, what management functions should the owner delegate? Well, it depends.
The best way to start with delegation in management is to start small. Start with tasks or responsibilities that are easy to document and train someone how to do.
Administrative tasks are a good place to start.
These tasks include:
These tasks are more straightforward to delegate because they are objective—they don't require much judgment once the process is defined. As employees learn your style and preferences, you can hand them higher-order tasks requiring decision-making.
Delegation in business can mean a number of things. It can mean trusting your team, outsourcing to a trusted agency, or hiring a dedicated virtual assistant.
A Prialto virtual assistant (VA) is a remote resource capable of managing and handling your administrative tasks. Instead of hiring someone full-time or outsourcing to a freelancer, we provide a managed subscription model. You receive a dedicated assistant supported by our entire internal team, which includes an engagement manager, quality assurance, and backup assistance. Your assistant is trained and overseen by the Prialto team, so all you need to do is pass your processes to Prialto.
It makes delegating easy.