What do you do if you're an entrepreneur struggling to delegate tasks and responsibilities effectively?

3 favorite delegation tips: 1) Coach your team to share an "early slice". That's when team members share their progress early on to make sure things are on the right track. Saves a ton of wasted time and helps lift up miscommunication early. 2) Provide context. People perform better when they understand how something will be used, by whom, for what. 3) Make the space for growth. People learn best when they can try, fail, and hone their craft.

Building trust begins with you asking YOURSELf if you’re a leader that deserves to be trusted. The formula for Trust is actions divided by time. Your team won’t trust you until they see that.: 1. Your say to do ratio is 100% 2. You care about their well-being 3. Wil you have their back when things go wrong. 4. Do you have the competence to lead them to success?

My best tip for delegation is to first remind myself what my hour is worth. This is an incredibly powerful exercise that shows you the true value of one hour of your time. Take your annual income, divide it by 52 weeks, and then divide by 40 hours. It won't be exact, but it's a great place to start. From there it is easier to evaluate the task at hand and decide if that task is worth your hourly rate. If not, delegate it. Now, to ensure it doesn't return back to your desk, it is critical to provide clear instructions including timeline expectations with the delegation. I lean on project briefs in my organization that lists the summary of task, links resources, additional info and timeline considerations.

Use this as an opportunity to develop your team; Trust them to use their knowledge and guide them. You will be pleasantly surprised. Being a leader coach is hard but asking the right questions and guiding rather than micromanaging will help you and your team accelerate productivity.

Na constru??o de confian?a inclui também uma comunica??o transparente sobre n?o só os objetivos mas também os desafios e decis?es da empresa. Isso criará uma ambiente onde a equipe se sentirá mais valorizada e informada. O que também pode contribuir é cumprir suas promessas, incluindo prazos, oportunidades de crescimento e benefícios, por exemplo. Promover uma cultura de respeito, ambiente positivo e inclusivo é fundamental para fortalecer o vínculo entre todos da equipe.

Call a meeting and discover what your team thinks, (because they do). Assign tasks to those that can do the job. Get out of the way. BE HUMBLE!

One of the easiest way is to use Value-Ease Matrix. This matrix allows us to see the value of every single piece of work and how easy it is to do. If the task is important and that it requires my time, then I will work on it. However if the task is easy yet creates high value, I will pass to someone who suits the task. If the task takes time yet create high value, it's recommended that we get a team and split the task, or create a timeline to work on the tasks.

Focus on what only YOU can do. I've been working with lots of entrepreneurs, and one of the biggest struggles is that as entrepreneurs, we likely *can* do most tasks related to our business. And we can do reasonably well, even if we don't like them. That makes it hard to delegate or pay for someone to do it. A lack of skill would make it easier. The hard task is to identify and really be honest about the kinds of things that only you can do and cannot be delegated. For example, direct client delivery, coming up with strategy, and big ticket client conversion meetings. Many other things can and should be delegated, otherwise, we run ourselves thin. It's a tough self-negotiation.

- Breakdown the line items to be completed - Prioritize the task with respect to the importance/impact/timelines based on the nature of the tasks - Call for a quick meeting with your team and list the tasks - You know your team better: Let them choose where they can contribute effectively. This way, you are not just delegating task, but you give your team member a responsiblity, which builds a sense of ownership and accountability for the tasks - This way, your team members would have chosen most of the line items and you will have a designated DRI’s for each task - Get the team members to set a realistic timeline to achieve the goal - Assist the team as and when required & be the constant motivator of the team that you once looked out for

Antes de poder delegar de manera efectiva, necesitas comprender las tareas en cuestión. Divide los proyectos en componentes más peque?os y manejables y evalúa las habilidades requeridas para cada uno. Este análisis te ayudará a identificar qué tareas debes mantener y cuáles puedes asignar a otros. Es crucial emparejar las tareas con los miembros del equipo adecuados, considerando sus fortalezas, intereses y necesidades de desarrollo. Este enfoque estratégico no solo garantiza eficiencia, sino que también fomenta el crecimiento profesional dentro de tu equipo.

La claridad es clave al asignar tareas. Proporciona instrucciones detalladas y contexto para asegurarte de que los miembros del equipo entiendan qué se espera de ellos. Establece plazos claros y esboza cualquier estándar o métrica que se utilizará para evaluar su trabajo. Anima a las preguntas y proporciona aclaraciones cuando sea necesario. La comunicación clara previene malentendidos y sienta las bases para un resultado exitoso.

Think about providing these instructions via a brief, expectations doc, or a tech tool (think Asana). Instructions are merely an agreement that you and your team members are buying into. During the process, this agreement may need to change. Be open and ready for those pivots and model them out to the team. Co-create the new plan when unforeseen situations occur. The team members have been doing the work so they are best to advise on a plan forward. Supporting them through the pivots is the best way to build that trust outlined in step 1.

In my experience, the clearest instruction is the one that the employees can give themselves. Let your employees decide for themselves as much as possible and, as a boss, only decide what is essential and non-negotiable for you. I often find that bosses overestimate how much they have to decide. If I do have to make the decision myself, a very good way of communicating this is to make the impact on the goal very clear. The moment the employee understands what effect the task has on the goal, they can assess much better what the instruction is for and how it is to be implemented in detail or what can be omitted.

You can't hold someone accountable unless you are crystal clear on what you are holding them accountable for. The more ambiguous and grey areas in clarity, the more likely you are to fail in building trust and effective delegation. The ownership is primarily on you to be crystal clear. The smaller the gap in these four clarity questions between how you communicate and how they interpret your communication, the clearer the instructions: 1. What are the expectations? 2. Why is this important? 3. Who needs to be involved? 4. When does this need to be done by? To be clear is to be kind.

I think we need to learn what we are good at and what needs practice. A good rule of thumb is hire out what you are not good at. Delegation takes practice , we can not be an expert at every job we need to do in our business. Some parts of the business can be learned over time, However what do you want to focus on, we all have to decide how we are going to spend our time and if I want to focus on speaking then who is going to do the marketing. When I first started in the 90s a friend of mine was starting a desk top publishing business and we collaborated and helped each other build our businesses.

More information is always best. Keeping great notes, trackers and regular check-ins will push projects forward and allow for easy delegation. Without regular touch points or availability to task lists projects will derail and pieces will be missing. Always look to process improvement and documentation to be sure your team and projects align with company goals.

Continuous feedback is highly effective when it comes to others performing as per the set expectations. Things will inevitably go wrong sometimes; however regular check-ins will help you identify those early, correct them, put things back on track, and thus help mitigate risks or avert bigger problems. Also, when things go well, it is essential to give motivating feedback or recognition or rewards to keep up their morale and energy.

Un entrepreneur qui a du mal à déléguer des taches et des responsabilités à tout intérêt à mettre en place une boucle d'amélioration continue à deux niveaux : 1. Au niveau opérationnel : identifier le temps passé sur ses activité et ce qui a d? être reporté du fait d'un manque de délégation, choisir les bonnes personnes et sélectionner ce qui peut leur être délégué. 2. Au niveau personnel : identifier l'impact de la surcharge de travail sur le plan émotionnel, physique et relationnel, et valoriser avec l'équipe ce qui s'améliore sur le moyen et le long terme lorsqu'ils sont responsabilisés. La célèbre "Roue de Deming" (PDCA) est un excellent outil pour créer ces boucles d'amélioration continue et de feedback.

Wichtig ist aus meiner Erfahrung, neben dem Prozessfeedback des Mitarbeiters als Führungskraft sehr bewusst und regelm??ig auch auf emotionales, st?rkendes, f?rderndes, kritisches Feedback im Prozess zu achten - hierarchieübergreifend, im Team und auch interdisziplin?re.

A feedback loop comes down to effective communication and in any situation where you're delegating to another person, regular communication/feedback are crucial. There are 3 ways that leaders typically "delegate" if they're not doing it effectively: micromanage, dumping or not delegating (just doing it themselves). And the ways in which leaders make the choice to do any of those is based on "CONFIDENCE in the person's ability" vs. the "INTEREST in the person's development." Dumping is high confidence/low interest, micromanagement is low confidence/high interest and not delegating is simply low confidence/low interest. You want to ideally be in high confidence/high interest to delegate effectively. Remember, delegating is a development tool!

No one likes a know-it-all all. Ego is a culture killer. Be a learn it all. Have a curious and humble mind. The simple mindset and habit of asking versus telling and being the last to talk, models an empowerment mindset and inspires others to step up to the plate. Culture is a mirror of leadership after all. Building an army of leaders is more effective than an army of followers.

In my experience, empowering your team does wonders to the overall output. The first step for the leader would be to place the organisational success above any their individual success. For that, they need to define what the key goals and aspirations for the organization are and make sure the team members buy into the vision. That would make them feel like they are a part of the organization. There is no replacement for intrinsic motivation, which only comes through empowerment. That would ultimately make delegation much easier.

In my experience, getting a mutually clear idea of each team member's strengths is great place to start. With it, all of a sudden delegation (to the right strength set) becomes a clear affirmation of the person's value and your trust in them. It builds team and teamwork. It shows vulnerability and mutuality. It energizes the development of delegation throughout the team.

My experience is that teams are very open and motivated to take over responsibilities. I delegated as much as possible responsibilities to my teams, set clear goals and was open to my teams for feedback / need for discussion and sparring. A good saying from one of my first bosses: It′s good NOT to see you. Then I know everything work′s fine. (Meaning only to show up when you have problems / need of support from you boss).

Employees are currently still the company's main energy cell. It is therefore clear that people contribute the most energy to achieving goals when they are able to play a full part. People and teams achieve empowerment through actions and their positive evaluation. Therefore, a very efficient way to generate feelings of power is to consistently get people to take actions that they can control as well as possible. A classic leadership task. The fact that individual strengths, preferences and character traits have to be taken into account does not make it any easier, but anyone who has learned to analyze this will quickly enjoy it.

It’s important to understand the difference between a requirement that will impact the quality of a project and a preference that has no impact. When you do, you spend less time fixated on aspects of a project that don’t matter and empower your team at the same time.

So long you have crystal clear clarity on the outcomes and expectations, who cares how "it" gets done? We need to get comfortable in that so long the outcome gets achieved within the defined expectations, your team might (and should) do it the way they see best. It might not be your way, and who cares. That's the challenge. You only know your way, and you think it's the best way. We have to let go of that and let others execute their way and be comfortable with a few bumps and mistakes on the journey. Firstly read the book, Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed to get you into the right mindset. Secondly, remember, it's not your way or the highway. Let your team fail and be ok with failure. Its the best way to learn and grow.

I caught myself this week! A trusted and respected colleague offered to remove an obstacle in my way, and my inner Eagle perked up. I heard myself, “I already have that somewhere. Let me look it up and….” I stopped. “You know what? That would be great, thank you. I can’t wait to see the value through your eyes” ?? The #grace and #courage to get out of our own way is one of many ways of making space for others to thrive.

Learning every how-to in the book of letting go won't work if we don't see the real stories + wounds behind our need to keep control. Our habits (to control, to perfect, to over-achieve) formed to protect us and help us flourish at a time in our lives where we needed them. They served us well then. If we're at a point where we're realising that they're now holding us back - we don't need to demonise ourselves for it. And we don't need to bulldoze the needs behind those habits either - the need to be seen, to be safe, to belong. Identify the wound your needs for control + perfection serve. Sit with the story behind that wound. Heal. That's how we will let go, sustainably, in the long-term

Apply the 80/20 principle. 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your inputs. Focus your time on the MOST important task of your day. Your 20%. Delegate the remaining task that are important and urgent. Disregard those that are not important and not urgent.

In today's digital age, various tools and platforms can facilitate effective delegation and collaboration. Project management software, task-tracking apps, and communication tools can help entrepreneurs assign tasks, monitor progress, and provide feedback seamlessly. Even though, delegating tasks can be challenging, entrepreneurs need to overcome this hurdle. By starting small, hiring the right team, setting clear expectations, letting go of the need for control, and leveraging technology, entrepreneurs can develop the crucial skill of delegation and pave the way for sustainable growth and success.

It's essential to adopt a strategic approach to effectively distribute tasks and responsibilities. Start by identifying your core competencies and the areas where your expertise is most valuable. Next, assess the strengths and weaknesses of your team members to allocate tasks accordingly, ensuring alignment with their skills and interests. Establish clear communication channels and expectations, providing detailed instructions and setting measurable goals. Foster a culture of trust and empowerment, empowering employees to make decisions and take ownership of their assigned tasks. Regularly review progress and provide constructive feedback to optimize performance.

Entrepreneurs, by definition, do it all. They feel it all, they see it all, they act on it all. One thing they typically struggle with is how to let go of being the only one who they believe can sweep the floor. They think that doing it all will grow their business. Initially, yes. But not sustainably. Their challenge is to move from being IN their business to being ON their business. At that juncture is where they can pass the baton, or rather, the broom, for others to learn to sweep. Read The E-Myth Revisited by @MichaelEGerber, for my advice on how this works.

What I would do is a combination of things. First, it is often hard to identify what you could give up to others, especially as an entrepreneur, the project or program you created is yours so there is that aspect to consider. Secondly, it might be advantageous to meet with a coach or mentor to assist you in identifying what tasks can be handed off and what person on the team has the skills and aptitude to successfully take the baton. Next you would have to train the person and allow them to do it their own way. I would also suggest meeting regularly with the people that now own the tasks so that you can ensure they have met expectations and to hear their feedback on the new duties. Collaboration and honest discussions are vital to success.

Those who resist delegation are often mired in two self-defeating thoughts: 1) it has to be done my way/perfection, and 2) if it doesn't get done perfectly it'll be a disaster. In fact, there are other ways to get things done, and most of the time they are equally good - or at least good enough. And for those few times when things really do go wrong, they can be fixed without risk (reputational, financial, etc.). The chance of something going wrong AND being a real disaster are low enough to realize that letting go will provide yourself and other significant benefits.