Where is the bottleneck? Always on top

It is not without reason that the bottleneck sits at the top of a bottle. In the same way that a CEO sitting at the top of an organization can easily end up being the bottleneck itself in the organization

Many CEO refrain from delegating responsibilities, they often fear the job won’t be done correctly in the way they would like it to do be done, or no one else can do it as quickly, and it won’t get done on time. Or the right attention will not be paid etc. The growth of any organization will be stifled to the extent that the CEO hold on to critical functions. The company will suffer in the exact areas where the CEO think he-/she is the expert!

The CEO simply becomes a choke point in the whole organization since the smallest detail must go through the top for approval. I previously had a boss who demanded to be involved in the smallest detail of the organization. He said that “I have to be involved.” Which of course led him to become a plug in the organization. Everything had through the top, which of course made even the smallest detail stop. Of course, he did not need to be involved in the smallest detail. To the exact degree that the CEO do not involve or develop the staff to assume these work cases, the growth of the company will be retarded.

Delegation is a CEO's most important way to secure involvement from his employees and executive members. It is like the quote says, “time is money”, time is of essence more than ever and a valuable resource, and if a CEO do not know how to delegate effectively, it is even more scarce. Delegation is one of the most important things a successful CEOs do. Delegating might sound like an easy task, that is not always the case. Many CEOs struggle with delegation.

The importance of delegate

Delegating tasks ensures the CEO spreading the work around. It also helps the CEO get more things done in less time. Maybe the most important thing is that it helps you build a team that works well together. Still, all too often, CEOs are not well-equipped to delegate, and they hold too much responsibility too close. If one is a successful delegator, one will find that one gets better results from the team. One will also have the right people doing the right jobs exceptionally well.

Stop Micromanaging

Micromanagement typically has a negative connotation. CEOs who micromanage their staff, make them doubt their CEO's trust in them. It also keeps employees from doing their best job because they will second guess their work instead of taking the lead. Like bullies, micromanagers exert inappropriate influence over others through constant criticism and control by their excessive attention to small details. In time, negative effects of micromanaging on employee engagement and morale become apparent as productivity drops and turnover rises. If you put the right person with the right task, you should not micromanage them. The work environment created by micromanagement is inefficient and filled with unease. Employees who are made to feel that their work will never be good enough loose motivation and confidence in their ability to perform the tasks required for their position.

Pick the Right People

This is key to your success as a delegator. Not everyone is right for every task. Look for people whose skills meet the job. This means getting to know your employees as well as their skill level.

You also want to delegate to team players who want to help to ensure the job gets done.

Be visible and available for your team and organization

As a CEO one wants to keep the lines of communication open. Giving a task to an employee and closing the door on questions and refusing to offer help are not the signs of an effective delegator. The CEO need to make sure the team knows that they can come to him/her with questions. And one need also be open to their suggestions. When they understand this is how you work, they will be more likely to take the lead on the project. You should also set aside some time regularly to meet with the employee to discuss their progress on the task. This is the perfect time to hear their comments and see if they need assistance.

?Show gratitude and tell your team that you appreciate them

Please and thank you are great words for any good CEO. As a CEO one need to make sure that the team members know you appreciate their work and their willingness to accept the responsibility. This will also help you build an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. By delegating to the right people, you contribute to the development of your staff. Further you will that by doing so you will utilize the talents of your staff to their full potential.

Be a wise and insightful leader and start working on your delegation skills today. Once you do that you will find out that the morale and productivity will increase exponentially in the organization after a while.