Let Go to Grow

One of the biggest barriers to growth in any business is the owner’s inability to let go. If you speak to one of these people you will normally hear something along the lines of, “If you want it done right, then you have to do it yourself.”

It is so easy to fall into the trap of believing that you must do everything yourself, but the simple fact is that one person cannot do everything. Attempting to micromanage a business will lead to burnout, stress or become the major blockage to growth.

The job of a business owner is to manage and lead others, not do the work for them and the truth is that, by insisting that you do the work for them, you actually make your team less effective.

The key to overcoming this barrier is to learn the gentle art of delegation and here are some compelling reasons to learn this art:

·        Give yourself more personal time

·        Free up time for planning and organising

·        It encourages open and honest communication

·        Grow your business more effectively

·        To improve productivity and efficiency for both yourself and your team

·        To teach your team to accept more responsibility

·        It motivates and builds morale

So what are the steps to successful delegation?

1.   Ask “What is the worst that could happen and can I live with that?” If you feel that you could live with it then it’s time to delegate.

2.   Consider the cost of not delegating. By comparing the cost of your time per hour compared to the cost per hour of a team member or the cost to outsource the task.

3.     Have a process for delegation for instance:

a.   Have a clearly defined set of policies in place, so that team members can refer for guidance. A word of warning here; you must be willing to stand behind your team members decisions based on those policies.

b.   Have a training process to upskill your team to do the task.

c.    Give people the responsibility to take the action required.

d.   Allow the authority  to be able to take whatever action is required.

e.   Have a timeline for completion of the task.

f.     Make sure you have a crystal clear picture of the outcome that is required.

g.     Provide the necessary feedback or feedforward so that your team know they are producing what you want. Delegation is not abdication.

4.     Maintain control after you have delegated. There are two levels of delegation:

Level 1. Team members are asked to look for all the options before making a decision and reporting back to you before any action is taken.

Level 2. Same as level 1 expect the team member completes the action and then reports back the results for review by you.

Delegation is not just a way of offloading the tasks you prefer not to do, it is absolutely necessary if you want to grow your business. Is it time for you to bite the bullet and share the load?

Looking to Let Go to Grow? Check out our next event, come along meet the team and be inspired - Leasowe Castle Friday 20th February LINK Just 4 places remaining!

Thoughts:

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority and don’t interfere”… Ronald Reagan

“As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritise. You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night, and then share, delegate, delay or skip the rest”… Jessica Jackley

“I trust the people who are working with me. I delegate…” Mario Draghi

“The great leaders are like the best conductors – the reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players”…Blaine Lee

“An empowered organisation is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organisational success”…Stephen Covey

Dedicated to your success

Susan

Business Performance Coach

Would like to explore the possibility of working with Kevin or Susan as your Business/Executive Coach or would like some training for your team?

Simply drop us an email at info@mpcforprofit.com or call the office on 0151 348 1202 and we can pop a date in the diary for a coffee and a chat that just might Grow your profit, Transform your business and Change your life.