Feeling stressed? Start delegating!
Surprise! Sitting in the office and thinking about sales will not generate revenue.
You have to get up and get moving!
So, get out on the road and kick up a storm. Without taking action you are doomed to a fate of inaction and flat or declining revenue.
The good news is that you don’t have to be the one that increases sales all the time!
Look internally at your team. Do you have someone that you could delegate some responsibility to for this? If not, then look to your mentors. What can they do for you?
People power for the win!
By delegating some tasks, you will be able to improve your business. The first step to do this is to be able to recognise when you need assistance. Check your current workload, responsibilities and some aspects of your business that stress you out.
Sometimes, people are in denial of stress, so for you to be able to do an honest stress assessment. At the risk of sounding like your mum, try to see if you have some manifestations of stress like headaches, muscle pains or trouble sleeping. If you do, admit it to yourself. Then, starting fixing the situation.
After deciding to delegate tasks, the next step is to decide what to delegate. People sometimes find it hard to delegate because it requires a cutback on a certain task because another qualified individual will be taking over to do some of the decision making.
To help you determine which task to delegate, come up with a list of your projects or responsibilities and try to see which tasks will mostly likely require you to seek other’s assistance.
Delegate those tasks that could probably use other’s expertise and experience when you collaborate with them. Your collaboration is most likely to succeed when you are able to delegate successfully.
The art of delegation
Based on the best practices of leaders who are really excellent at delegation, Scott Eblin came up with a five-step approach to delegating. It’s called T.R.A.C.K:
Task
Get really clear and specific in your own mind about the task you’re delegating and why it matters.
Request
Make a clear request of the person you’re delegating the task to. Be sure to cover the what, when, why, who and in-bounds and out-of-bounds parameters for accomplishing the task.
Achieve
As part of the delegation conversation, paint a picture of what success looks like when the task is achieved.
Check-ins
Set up a process for checking in with each other over the course of completing the task. Most check-ins will be scheduled on a recurring basis. Be clear about the conditions for when the person you’re delegating to should initiate a check-in that’s not in the schedule.
Kudos and Knowledge
When the task is complete, offer kudos for a job well done. Point out specific things that were done well and should be repeated in the future. Ask what was learned that could lead to an even better outcome next time.
Keep it constructive
There will always be setbacks and issues in any business. Delegating tasks to get things done is one of the things that may be able to address problems and stress.
Just be careful who you delegate tasks to. Choose the right person to delegate and collaborate things with. Choose the wrong person and, chances are, your stress levels will escalate!
If it turns out that you have chosen the wrong person, despite your best efforts. You have to act. Biting your tongue and not resolving conflict when it arises will cause problems down the track. By not addressing issues quickly, you are sending a message that negative attitudes and substandard performance will be tolerated.
The first time an issue arises, be firm, fair, and set some solid rules for what will happen should this come up again. Then, most importantly, follow those rules even if it means losing a team member you value. It’ll be best for the entire team down the road.
Why delegate?
Let’s face it: the more you delegate, the less you do, the stress you have and the more seems things seem to get done.
So, what’s stopping you from making the most of the resources and talents within your organization? Here’s another top tip:
Employees look to the boss for leadership, and they aren’t surprised when that is just what they receive.
Why not delegate more tasks, and gauge the results. You might just be impressed with what you get!
Jeremy Liddle was the founder in 2005 of RioLife, a natural health company, and has now authored his first book, “From Idea to Start-Up.”
