How do you delegate successfully?
There is no doubt about it, delegating is tricky! What to delegate, who to delegate it to, will they do as good a job as you, what if they don’t do it the right way? These are all questions that frequently go through the mind of those that do not like to delegate.
They may know they need to but they will procrastinate till the cows come home about it. And ultimately this will result in those that they are delegating to getting frustrated, feeling under valued and unhappy in their role.
- Be prepared to!
Half the problem with those that do not delegate is that they don’t really want too. There are many reasons for this. Their business is their baby, they don’t want to leave it in the hands of others and they hold concernes that those that they are delegating to won’t do it properly or the same way.
And all these are true, but to be able to delegate you need to trust the Virtual Assistant that you have chosen to work with you. They may not do it exactly the way that you do, but as long as it gets done and to the standard that you would like, the task is still completed and the result achieved and more importantly you have not had to do it.
- Be clear with your instructions
When you want a task completed be very clear what your expectations are. If you are not then you cannot be surprised when the end result is not what you expect. If you would like a task to be done in a particular way, then be explicit about it.
- Do not be a Micro Manager
If you have reached the decision to delegate and chosen the right VA to delegate to, what is the point of then micro managing every aspect of the job. You might as well be doing it yourself. Micro managing results in low morale, concerns about decision making and ultimately the job not being done to the expected standard. And you will have nobody to blame but yourself!
- Agree those deadlines
When you delegate, you have made decisions about what you are delegating, how you would like it done, you have set the intention to step back and let others get on with it etc. You need to make one more thing clear and that is when you want it done by. Many Virtual Assistants have other clients and set their own schedules. They will make time to do the task in their own time frame and fit it around other client commitments. Their time frame may not match yours. So if you do need a task done for a deadline then make it clear what your expectations are.
Delegation is difficult when you are used to doing everything yourself, but it will undoubtedly benefit you and your business if you learn and accept the necessity to do so.
So if you need to start delegating, get in touch and email Emma at emma@theumbrellatree.co.uk or visit www.theumbrellatree.co.uk.
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