Don’t Wait — Delegate!
There is one attribute that all successful businesses have in common — from the single-bodied LLC in a home office, to well-established enterprises with many employees: management that understands how to utilize the power to delegate!
Delegation can be more difficult for some people than others. A perfectionist may cling to micromanaging every detail; the natural-born leader may feel that he must hold all the reins while his employees merely carry out carefully-directed tasks. Artful delegation creates more success for everyone involved. It is worth recognizing and overcoming any preventive misgivings.
Whether you’re overwhelmed with customers or struggling to grow your client base, delegation may be your answer. Here are 3 steps to get you started:
STEP 1: MENTAL INVENTORY
What has prevented you from delegating in the past? Fear? Or pride? Identify, rationalize, and dismiss any emotional misgivings about delegating facets of your company duties. Think positively about what other talents can bring to your business.
STEP 2: RESOURCES INVENTORY
Consider those around you. If you have employees, think outside the box. What skills do they have that you may not be using? Perhaps you’ve noticed that the girl you have answering the telephone does an excellent job of composing professional and well-written emails, and she has a great sense of humor. Could she use her personality and writing skills to start up and take charge of that company blog you can’t find the time to launch?
Are you a one-person enterprise? Try exploring your options to delegate to an independent contractor online. This may come at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full- or part-time employee to commute to your office!
The overall consciousness of the business world is behind the curve regarding what resources are now available. Even with a recession-era budget, there are many ways to streamline and improve performance. Businesses of any size should explore the amazing possibilities of delegating to administrative and website support specialists who work from remote locations.
Delegation is also a great way to focus on your talents and strengths, rather than getting bogged down in the mundane and extraneous tasks. Our own company offers web design, website support, marketing, and graphic design services — all important facets of growing your business, but frustrating and time-consuming when you’d rather be working on the focus of your business. Delegating these tasks gives you the best of both worlds!
STEP 3: LET LOOSE, BUT DON’T LET GO!
So, you’ve acknowledged your need to delegate, you’ve found the right people to take on some of your duties, and now it’s time to kick back and relax! Er, not so much.
While artful delegation does require that you transfer a hearty amount of trust to the delegatee, you do maintain the ultimate responsibility for all facets of your business. So, while you clear some things off your plate, keep everything on your radar. Constantly gauge the results of your delegation and ask: Are your customers happier? Is your client base increasing? Delegation does require investment, and it should quickly produce results.
0 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks