5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Delegating In Your Business | EMyth

Do you ever ask an employee for something you requested several days earlier and get a puzzled look? Or get the response: “I didn’t know you wanted it today.” Or even more baffling, the employee tells you: “I don’t know how to do that.” These are the kinds of answers that cause many owners to hesitate when delegating.

Delegation—having someone else perform a task or two to your standards—is essential to your growth as the owner, as well as your managers'. So why do so many people struggle with it?

When quizzed about their lack of delegation, owners often respond with answers like these:

“It takes too long.”

“I’m not very patient.”

“It’s faster to just do it myself.”

“I have to be sure it is done right.”

“Maybe I don’t trust myself to really delegate.”

Do any of these sound familiar? Occasionally, an owner will have the realization that they aren't confident about delegating—usually from a lack of experience or a full understanding of best practices. Delegating can be scary. It can often feel negative and time-consuming. It is a skill that can be learned, but you must commit to practice.

Here are five questions you must ask yourself before you delegate:

1. Does your employee have the ability to handle the task?
   Before delegating a task, make sure your employee has the skillset required to complete it.
2. Are you clear about the knowledge and training required?
   Even though you may already know how to complete a task, training your employees and being clear about your expectations will save you more time in the long run.
3. Does your employee have all the tools necessary to complete the task?
   It is pretty easy to see what can happen when your employees are allowed to get in over their heads. Delegating a task to an employee without giving them the tools and understanding necessary, can lead to a disaster for you and a negative experience for your employees.
4. Have you included a deadline?
   The deadline you assign with the task must include not just the day but the time as well. “I’ll need this back no later than 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday the 23rd.” That way there are no surprises.
5. Can your employee complete the task by the deadline you established?
   You cannot expect a direct report to work on the tasks you delegate if there is simply not enough time.

It is also helpful to check on the progress of the task you assigned. You want these follow-ups to be a pleasant surprise to your employee. Keep follow-up notes in your Daily Time Log and reach out about their progress. Staying in touch says, “This is important and I want you to succeed.” It is another opportunity to develop your leadership skills. These seemingly simple questions can turn you into a more productive leader. But, it will require some practice.

Here’s how you can get started:

• Write down the tasks you’re doing that you know members of your team can handle.
• Use delegation as a way to help your employees grow. Will this task help your employee better utilize their skills? Delegating creates an enormous training opportunity.
• Talk with your employees and discuss the responsibilities you’d like them to take on, and the standards you have for the way the tasks should be completed.

Delegating can be challenging. Why give up a task you know you can do perfectly well? The truth is, refusing to hand off tasks will make working ON your business even more of a challenge. Avoiding delegation only means you’re focusing too much on the day-to-day operations of the business and making more work for yourself—more technician work that does not help you grow as a manager. You can leverage your time—and give your employees an opportunity to grow—by getting help from your team.