the Weekly Wrap - Delegation

"It's just easier if I do it myself."

I'm sure you've heard someone say this before.

I'm sure you've said it before; I know I have. ????

As a leader, an entrepreneur, or a parent - most of us have experienced this sentiment.

And we're right. We are the expert in these situations, of course it's easier for us!

But that's not the point.

Helping others grow takes teaching, coaching, and patience.

One important component to this is delegation!

Successful delegation has many benefits. It can not only help you have more time to spend on the things that matter to you, it can also help your team grow exponentially. ?? ??

Delegation can be a little scary at first, it was to me. We're not born knowing how to delegate successfully! And if you feel like you struggle at delegation, you're not alone.

An often cited statistic from the late London business school professor John Hunt states:

only 30% of managers believe they can delegate well, and of that group, only 1/3 is considered a good delegator by their team.

This would mean that only about 1 out of every 10 managers are truly delegating successfully.

Woah! ?? ?? ??

The good news is that delegation is a skill that can be learned and the more you do it, the easier it gets!

Here are my three critical things to remember when successfully delegating.

Plan Solo ??

Before you get any one else in the room, you need to take some time to outline your vision.

A mistake I see many leaders make is pulling their team in before they've even had a moment to digest, strategize and build their vision.

What are you trying to accomplish? What is the timeline? What resources do you have, and who is the best fit?

Depending on the item, this planning could take as little as a few minutes - or a few weeks, but you need to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you're trying to accomplish and why it's important.

Set Expectations ??

Now, let's pull in the team and take some time to explain the vision and the why.

Help your team understand what you expect and what success looks like for them. Make sure you outline who specifically is responsible for what deliverable; don't "blanket delegate" to multiple people.

Then give them time to ask questions about the vision and/or their specific task(s).

Be flexible on how they get to the finish line; don't micromanage their process. Give them the space they need to try their own methods, tools and paths to success.

Be Available ?

As part of your initial conversation, you'll want to schedule a reoccurring time for checking in with your team. This will provide an outlet to work through any issues and help everyone stay on track.

Make sure your team knows you're there to help along the way, and that you don't expect perfection. Allow room for mistakes and be ready to help get them back on track.

If you're vulnerable with your own imperfections, your team is more likely to envision space for their growth as well!

“Delegating means letting others become the experts and hence the best.”

– Timothy Firnstahl

We all have different reasons for failing to delegate successfully. It could be a lack of confidence in how to delegate, a fear of losing control, or maybe a fear of dropping the ball.

However, a failure to delegate will hurt your team, your goals and your business. Practicing and improving your delegation will allow you to find time to focus on the things you need to: vision, strategy and growth. ?? ?? ??

Is there something you can get off of your plate and delegate to someone else? What could that free you up to work on instead? ??

Let's think about this as we end our week with our Friday Dance Party! It's a chance to unwind, get our stress out, and start the weekend right!

-Liz ?? ???? ??

PS - Oh, and one more thing - if you're signed up for my newsletter, you might have noticed we took a little break last week.

That's because I'm launching the 2.0 version of my newsletter THIS MONDAY (10/31/22)!

It's called the?Short List, and it's a compilation of various things that happened around the office last week, things that I found useful, and some other randomness that made me laugh.

I'd love for you to check it out! You can sign up here or following the QR code below!