In keeping with the theme of time management from last week’s blog about multitasking, let’s take a look at the importance of delegation—specifically at the idea of freeing yourself up to do the tasks you’re uniquely qualified to do.
As ReadyTrainingOnline.com explains in an article from last month, you have to determine which tasks should be on your to-do list, and which should be on the “to be done by someone else” list. The article continues, “Your greatest skills should be coaching, teaching, business analysis, and decision making, not doing tasks someone else could do just as well.”
At first blush, this should make complete sense, but many business owners and managers fall into the trap of believing that “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” As we explained last week, however, multitasking is a fool’s errand, and because there’re simply not enough hours in a day, you’re going to be stuck either doing these tasks poorly or doing them with unnecessary delay.
You have a staff for a reason and, more importantly, you pay them. So as the ReadyTrainingOnline.com article says, “Don’t Resist Delegation… Stop saying, ‘It’s easier for me to just go ahead and do it.’ Start teaching. Start coaching. Start leading.”
To do this, you must have confidence in your staff. If you don’t, ask yourself why you don’t. Is the problem that you’re afraid to trust important tasks with other people, or has your staff proved that they can’t be relied upon? If it’s the former, then you’ll need to just dive in because you’ll never fully realize your leadership potential unless you do. If it’s the latter, then you might need new staff.
One way to feel confident in your subordinates is to check on them. The Brandt Group offers several tools, including mystery shopping, that will help you ensure your standards are being maintained. Don’t waste your limited, valuable time micromanaging—let’s build a survey together and start perfecting your sales, customer service, and support processes today.
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