Most of us are hopefully good at something. Nobody is good at everything. That’s why effective people know how to delegate.
Spoiler alert – it’s a skill with which I really struggle.
When you first set up in business you are the one who has to do everything. The problem with so many of us is that as our businesses grow we continue to try to do everything. The same is true of managers in larger businesses. They can’t help trying to get involved in everything. Worse of all they have other people available but try to micro manage them.
I’m not great at delegating. I’ve got better over the years, but especially when it is your own business you like to think you know everything and can do everything better than anyone else. The truth is, you can’t, or even if you can, it’s not effective. We need to learn to delegate and trust those to whom we have delegated the tasks to get the job done. Then, only get involved when necessary.
Managers in businesses are the same. the reason they got to where they are is that they are hopefully better at doing the job than anyone else. the problem is that now their job is to manage the people doing the job that they previously did and chances are they are still the best person at actually doing the job. We teach people how to do the job, but not how to manage, and how many people do you know who have been on an effective delegation course? Most organisations assume that management and then the next stage, leadership are just things people are able to do. Great leaders delegate almost everything.
I could run my own payroll. I am qualified to do it. The problem is, it’s not the best use of my time and so I get someone else to do it. Very often when people say they are too busy what they actually mean is “I can’t let go.” The problem is that difficult though it is to accept, there are many jobs where other people do them better. Yes, on occasion they will make mistakes that maybe you wouldn’t have but that’s life. If you are really honest I bet there are actually loads of mistakes that are made that could have been avoided by delegation.
I went to have my blood pressure checked the other day. The doctor had delegated the task to a nurse. A great idea. The doctor can now be effective doing the job for which he or she has been trained. The nurse can do likewise and we all win. The task had been effectively delegated to someone who could do the job. Effective delegation means ensuring that the people to whom jobs are delegated have been properly trained. Maybe the reason my blood pressure was up a bit is that I haven’t properly delegated my tasks!!!!
Often you hear phrases like “so and so can take on such and such a job” That’s not delegation, that passing the buck. Effective people delegate to the right people and ensure they have the tools and the knowledge ( properly trained) to do the job. I don’t want to count the number of companies that I have visited where health and safety has been “delegated” to someone who has been given no training and who is “learning on the job.”
Delegating is a skill, the same as any other, but it’s a much undervalued one.
If you want to make the best use of your time and also free up time for other things then don’t do, delegate.
I’m off to try and practice my delegation skills now. Wish me well.
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