Letting go is never easy. Whether you are giving the car keys to your teenage child for the first time or allowing your new dispatcher to develop the service schedule, stepping aside and allowing someone else to be responsible comes with obstacles, even when you know it’s going to be beneficial. So, what’s preventing you from letting go?
Owners and managers have many reasons why they don’t let go and delegate. Some include: I don’t have time to train someone or I can do it faster myself. Some might even say: They won’t do it the way I would do it. Determining all of the reasons why you don’t delegate is crucial to the operation of your business.
The owner is always in danger of falling into “Entrepreneurial quicksand” without delegation. This happens when the owner assumes all risk, does most of the jobs, and makes most of the decisions. At first this approach is to be expected. However, as the company grows, the entrepreneur becomes overwhelmed with their own tasks while trying to make important decisions and give direction to an increasing number of employees. Employees are then kept from completing their tasks and learn not to be responsible and do what’s needed.
You are not alone. This is a very similar pattern for owners and managers. They work hard, yet not necessarily smart. They try to do too much themselves, and have difficulty delegating — not just the tasks, but the authority to carry them out. Managers not delegating will lead to employees not learning and developing, and they will be hesitant to express their ideas. Even worse, they will continue to need their supervisors’ permission or guidance on the small decisions. Ultimately, the manager gets in a rut and is unable to assume other more important tasks.
So what can you do about it? Knowing you have a delegating issue is the first step. People must adopt a different thought process that says “I can’t do it all myself.” Once you’re there, you will need to know how to put this new view in place, so you won’t become disappointed and eventually take back the delegated tasks. Letting people know specifically how they are doing, as well as how they might improve, will significantly lower the chances of failure and the impulse to resume responsibility for the task.
To start the process, owners and managers must ask themselves three questions.
1. What tasks do I need to do? And then, keep doing them.
2. What can someone else do right now, or with a little training/coaching? After that, you must identify the appropriate people to do it and begin the delegation process. This might include doing some of the work together until the person can do it independently.
3. What tasks might need a deeper level of training and coaching? And then identify individuals with the potential and initiate the longer-term training and coaching process.
You cannot simply say, “This job is now yours.” To be successful, you must implement the necessary training, coaching, and feedback. And the good news is, once owners and managers make this transition, they find it very liberating. They can now attend to those matters that only they can do, such as building relationships, strategic planning, closing larger sales, and financial oversight.
Letting go and allowing others to assume responsibility is more than nice to do — it’s a must do. Following the recipe of identifying what others can potentially do, giving them clear expectations, providing needed training and coaching, and offering on-going performance feedback is key to long term business growth. Who knows, if you do a good job at this, you might get to take that well deserved, worry-free vacation.