Delegation responds to the permission of imperfection. – Craig Groschel
My harsh truth…
Don’t we all dream of being in a position where we can delegate a lot of our work so we can have less on our plate and be able to truly work that 8 to 5?
I love delegating….BUT…
I am terrible at it.
“Here’s the task, now go do it…” is typically my method.
I am a big picture thinker, so when it comes to providing details, it is often a huge struggle.
That said, it hasn’t been until the last year that I have recognized both how terrible I am at delegating AND how desperately necessary it is for me as a business owner.
Despite how much I do it, first I go through the range of emotions.
- It is so much easier if I just do it myself….
- I don’t trust anyone to get it done right…
- It takes too long to train someone in, I might as well just get it done..
Sound familiar?
I am guilty of saying each of these phrases, just as you might be. It seems like a daunting task to have to teach and reteach a colleague a skill that seems simpler for you to get done.
You may be worried about them messing up, or not doing it exactly how you would do it.
When you delegate you are allowing imperfection to show up in your work, but you are also allowing yourself to have more time in the future, and you are giving someone else an opportunity to learn.
Did you know that most times when training a new employee on a new task, you shouldn’t expect them to reach your level of quality until they’ve done it at least 30 times?
The average manager should spend around 5 times the amount of time they spend on a task, training a new employee on it.
Be a Time Multiplier
The Time Multiplier Concept refers to doing something now that may take a large amount of time, but in return it will give you extra time in the future.
For example, I hate creating processes for things. The detailed work of writing down exactly what I do every time seems daunting and exhausting.
Though, I know that each time I complete a perfected process, I decrease my work time the next time around.
By taking the time to work on a project now that you know will save you time in the future, you are multiplying your time.
The same goes for delegating and taking the time to fully train your employees.
You may spend more time teaching now, but your time will be extremely multiplied in the future, allowing you to spend more time working on the things that you are the best at.
Delegating is Giving a Gift
Allowing someone on your team to take on a new task, and an opportunity to learn, is one of the most loving things you can do for that person.
Leadership is not about getting things done right, it’s about getting things done through other people.
Let your colleagues help you.
Delegate the things that don’t excite you if you can.
There is most likely someone on your team that enjoys the tasks that you don’t enjoy, so have the conversation with them about what will help you and your team be the most successful and multiply time.