Stop Wearing All The Hats? Here’s How Entrepreneurs Can Delegate Effectively

If you are launching a startup, chances are you will end up wearing many hats, thinking you will be able to do it all. You’ll have to play the role of an innovator, an out-of-the-box strategist, a salesperson, a marketer, a financial manager, an HR manager, and a leader, all the while having to deal with day-to-day micro-tasks, all by yourself. Your new found passion can fuel those first few weeks, but you will soon feel burnout and exhaustion creeping up on you.

You will end up burning the mid-night oil more and more frequently, and you will soon find it impossible to make a dent in the ever-growing pile of tasks that need your attention! However, before you let things escalate to this point, we recommend you start delegating some of your tasks to the right workforce.

Delegating is something that entrepreneurs often struggle with. They often wonder which tasks to delegate, who to delegate them to, and how to delegate responsibility. Some entrepreneurs feel that they may come off as slacks if they delegate tasks, while some are under the impression that they can do things better.

However, delegation is the key ingredient of entrepreneurial success when done effectively. In the book, “Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People”, authors offer conclusive proof that delegating more responsibility for decision making increases commitment, morale, and productivity, which ultimately affects your bottom line. Here are a few tips to help you delegate effectively.

Be Proactive In Delegation

First things first, be proactive in your delegation. Don’t put off delegating tasks until you’re on the verge of burning out. Instead, whenever you feel like your work is stressing you out or that you have bitten off more than you can chew, delegate a few tasks before it’s too late. Be it hiring new employees to share some responsibility, encouraging your existing employees to learn new skills necessary for the challenge ay hand, or outsourcing some tasks; address burnout before it overwhelms you.

Choose the Right Person for the Job

Good leaders understand their employees’ weaknesses, and preferences, and know how to play to their strengths. Each individual brings something new to the table, so you need to know who would be best suitable for a particular task. For instance, if you are planning on delegating a task that requires collaboration, look for an employee who is a pro at collaboration, not someone who prefers working alone. Another idea is to make a list of all the chores that you want to delegate and make your team go through the list and choose the tasks they are willing to take in. Letting people choose their own tasks will inspire loyalty and engagement in your team and motivate them to see their self-chosen tasks through.

Provide Necessary Resources

In addition to finding the right person for the job, you should also make sure that they have the necessary tools and resources to be complete the task to perfection, be it adjusted priorities, supplies, money, training, time, a private space, or help from others. If a task requires new skills, provide a way for them to acquire those skills. For instance, if you ask someone to use a specific tool for a project, make sure that they become familiar with the tool first. Even if there tasks that only you know how to do, you can teach someone else how to do it instead of overburdening yourself. It may seem quicker to do it yourself than invest time in training, but trust me, think of that training as a long-term investment.

Be Clear About Your Expectations

If you are delegating a task to a team-member, be as specific as possible about your expectations so that your teammates know what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and by when. Tell employees your goals or the milestones you hope to accomplish but try to let them tackle the problem in their own way. If there are multiple employees collaborating on a project, establish clear responsibilities to each so that everyone is on the same page regarding their role.

Be sure to sit down with the person or team to address any questions or concerns early on to prevent problems down the line. We recommend that you establish milestones, checkpoints, and junctures for feedback, so that you don’t end up under leading or micromanaging.

Check in Periodically

While it is important to trust your employees to do their tasks perfectly once you have assigned a task, provided them with the necessary resources, and set the deadline, it is also vital to verify that the process is underway. If multiple people are working on a project, establish open lines of communication between teammates so that they are on the same page regarding their progress and roles, and ensure that the deadline is going to be met.