How often do you get to the end of a working day and wonder where the time went?
Perhaps you never got to item 3 (or even item 1!) on your to-do list. How can you solve this problem without working longer hours? The answer is simple, but applying it well is where the real skill lies.
The answer is to delegate more — either to existing team members, new people you recruit, or externally to outside contractors. However, if delegation were that easy, everyone would be doing it already.
The Art of Delegation
We say art, because delegation is not an exact science; different approaches are needed depending on who the delegate is. Time and effort are required to effectively pass on tasks to others.
Often, the time the delegator needs to put in initially is greater than if they did the work themselves — that’s why so many people don’t delegate. The view that “it’s quicker for you to do it yourself” holds you trapped and unable to be more productive and effective. It also stops others from developing better ways to do things than you already know: if you teach them your way, they can master that AND add their own value — two minds being better than one.
This is a theme that comes up regularly in our business advisory work with SME owners. The owners who scale successfully are almost always the ones who delegate well.
Delegation vs Abdication
Here are the essential principles that separate true delegation from abdication:
Delegation
- Assess the task, issue it to the right person and support them — builds trust and respect
- Be specific and crystal clear for greater communication
- Request they repeat back instructions, so you know you were understood
- Set a timeframe and request clarification that the task has been achieved, ensuring jobs are completed on time
- Both parties review the outcome — opens the door for future work
Abdication
- Issue tasks to anyone and forget about it — shows distrust and a lack of respect
- Giving unclear information results in poor communication
- Not asking if you were understood — results in low productivity
- No timeframe set — jobs get delayed and go over budget
- Different expectations can result in disgruntled clients
- No review results in no future work
Delegation is a skill to be learned; applying these principles consistently will ensure long-term success.
“No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit” — Andrew Carnegie
Action List
Working through these questions is a useful starting point:
- Which tasks am I currently doing that I could delegate to others?
- What can I do with the time I free up?
- Who are the best people for me to delegate these to? (Make sure they want to do these as part of their career development.)
- What is the best way to document what is expected and how it should be done?
- What support and review process is needed to ensure success?
Freeing up your time as a business owner also means you can focus on higher-value activities — whether that’s growth strategy, client relationships, or working with your accountant on tax planning and financial structure. If you’d like to talk through how to build a more efficient business, reach out to our team.