Successful Delegating - Getting Others to do the Work
In the previous page I wrote about getting organised
or, more precisely, organising oneself. This page takes
a brief look at organising others – delegating.
The two together effectively help you achieve your “first
things first”.
Why do most of us not delegate well? The first (if not
blindingly obvious) reason is that we may not have anyone
we can delegate work to! This in itself may be the number
one reason why you’re not working on the important.
This in fact was the key issue in a recent taster session
I had with someone. This individual knew that they should
hire a part-time assistant, but hadn’t done so
for over 18 months. Thankfully for them they now have.
For anyone who is a sole trader, give yourself permission
every so often to think about what more you could achieve
with additional help.
For those of us who do have employees, why don’t
we delegate, or delegate effectively? The typical reply
is, “Well it’s quicker if I do it myself” or, “If
I want it done right, I have to do it myself.” Clearly
who we choose to delegate to is important, but all too
often the failure to get the required results is the
fault of the “delegator”, not the “delegatee”.
So how can we improve our delegating?
- Clearly define and describe the desired result(s)
you want.
- Don’t tell them how to do it, but explain
any guidelines you have and any known failure routes.
- Help them identify the resources that are available
to help them.
- Explain the accountability arrangements – how
progress should be reported and how it will be monitored.
- Explain the consequences, good and bad, both for
them and for the company, of achieving or not achieving
the desired result.
If you are concerned that someone will take the wrong
action, ask them to give you their recommendations, before
they proceed further.
The above may seem a little too time-consuming for some,
but the results of poor delegating can be very costly
and the results of not delegating often even more so.
What three new things will you start delegating this
month?
If you would like to transform your business, then please tell me a little bit about
you and your business by completing this brief questionnaire. My assistant
will then telephone you to arrange a convenient time for an exploratory consultation call, to see
whether we would like to work together.
