“Remember that effective communication is crucial. You're responsible for delivering clear instructions and ensuring that they're received, understood, and retained. And when you delegate, ensure the assignee has both the time and the skill to take on the task.” - Marlon Brand

Introduction:

As a Strategic Business Performance Consultant, I've worked with visionary executives and business owners. Among the many skills these leaders seek to develop, one stands out as a universal struggle: delegation. This skill becomes particularly critical as your business grows and scales.

So, what is delegation? It's the process by which managers and leaders assign responsibility to others in their workplace, whether direct reports or peers. It's a critical skill because your role as a strategic planner requires time and energy that you can't afford to divert into everyday tasks.

Levels of Delegation

Delegation comes in four levels:

Level One: This involves assigning someone to gather information and report back. You're still directly involved in every step of the task.

Level Two: You give someone a task and remain available for assistance. You are there for the execution and for the results.

Level Three: At this level, you assign the task, step back from the execution, but still get reports on the results.

Level Four: This is the master level of delegation. You give someone a task, trust in their competency, and don't even need to hear about the results. This is the level where true scaling begins.

Common Struggles with Delegation

Why do so many leaders struggle with delegation? Let's look at four common reasons:

Indispensability Syndrome: Many leaders try to make themselves irreplaceable, but this can be counterproductive. You can't move up or move on if you can't be replaced. Accepting that others may do the job differently, but still well enough, is a significant step towards effective delegation.

Impatience: Leaders often feel that if they want something done quickly and correctly, they need to do it themselves. However, training others to perform tasks not only empowers them but frees up your time in the long run.

Lack of Defined Core Values: Leaders who don't define and live out their company's core values often struggle with delegation. Clear values provide a framework within which employees can operate independently and confidently.

Insufficient Documentation: Many leaders fail to document processes and expectations, which can lead to confusion and inconsistency. Effective systems and procedures allow employees to function optimally, even in the leader's absence.

Improving Your Delegation Skills

So, how can you improve your delegation skills?

First, remember that effective communication is crucial. You're responsible for delivering clear instructions and ensuring that they're received, understood, and retained. And when you delegate, ensure that the assignee has both the time and the skill to take on the task.

Second, let go of perfection. Your team members might not perform a task exactly as you would, but that doesn't mean they can't achieve the same results.

Finally, leverage technology. Using screen recording software like Komodo or Zoom, you can record training sessions and save them to a shared drive, creating a valuable resource for current and future employees.

In conclusion, effective delegation is the key to scaling your business. As a visionary, your focus should be on strategic planning and growth, and you achieve this by empowering your team to handle the day-to-day tasks. Yes, it takes time, effort, and a shift in mindset, but the payoff is well worth it. Happy delegating!