Delegating Your Least Favorite Tasks
Raise your hand if you feel responsible for every little detail in your business. That’s just the way of entrepreneurship, right? Wrong! While high-level tasks like identifying your ideal client and refining your offerings are undoubtedly in your hands, too many business owners find themselves toiling over the small, tedious tasks that simply aren’t enjoyable.
And when your plate is full of to-dos like taking welcome gifts to the post office or reaching out to last week’s photographer, it’s easy to lose the fire that inspired you to start a business in the first place. Worse still, you’ll struggle to move the needle in meaningful ways (how can you strategize for the year when your inbox is dragging you down?) and eventually succumb to burnout.
That’s why building a reliable team is often the springboard to business growth, as you’re free to delegate tasks that are necessary but don’t require you to do them. When you have a team to back you up, you’ll find more time and energy to dedicate to big-picture goals, like creating a new product line or exploring a new niche.
If you have a team (or are in the process of building one), use these strategies to improve your delegation skills and foster a work environment that keeps everyone energized and inspired.
Don’t expect perfection
It’s hard to let go of routines and processes you’ve perfected over the years — we get it. You might feel like it’ll take more time to teach an employee than to actually do the task at hand. And while that may be true (at first!), letting go of the need to control every last detail is the only way to break free of stagnation.
Developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a great way to train your staff and hand off tasks that don’t need your attention. However, you must accept that your team won’t be perfect off the bat (just as you weren’t when you started!). Trust that they are motivated to learn, and in many cases, you’ll find that an employee dedicated to a specific role will eventually produce better results than when you try to “fit it all in.”
Start slow and build from there
If you’re a wedding planner with a new assistant, you can’t expect them to take over an event’s coordination immediately. Instead, delegate repeatable tasks that will help them gain confidence while freeing you up to pursue your highest-level work.
For instance, you might ask them to review client questionnaires, create timelines, or prepare timelines from pre-existing templates. If hiring for administrative support, you could ease in a virtual assistant with easy-to-learn tasks, like scheduling social media, updating your CRM, and responding to emails.
Over time, you’ll build trust in your employees to take on larger projects and creative tasks. But to start, it’s best to delegate recurring tasks that are easy to standardize with SOPs and require minimal oversight.
Cultivate a productive environment
Leadership is a give-and-take practice, and you must provide your team with the resources they need to succeed. In a physical context, this can look like a clean workspace with thoughtful touches, like a coffee station or comfortable lounge area.
But as the workforce becomes increasingly virtual, be mindful of the digital atmosphere you create for remote workers as well. An organized project management system, streamlined password vault, or collaborative messaging platform can turn an average work-from-home day into a meaningful experience. You may also consider providing your team with company laptops or smartphones to help them stay connected without expecting them to use their personal devices (which can create distractions!).
Another technique to boost productivity is through regular stand-up meetings or online check-ins. The purpose here is not to micro-manage. Instead, it’s simply a chance to share what everyone is working on and establish open lines of communication.
Motivate your team often
Nobody wants to feel like a mere order-taker, grinding for nothing more than a biweekly paycheck. If you want the best from your team, you need to provide them with the best. Motivation looks different for everyone, so as the leader, it’s up to you to learn about your employees’ driving factors and how they best receive appreciation.
For some, a “free” day off after a hectic weekend is worth its weight in gold. Others may value a financial incentive, like a gift card or a quarterly bonus. Even a genuine pat on the back is enough to make someone proud of their accomplishments. Spend time getting to know your team members on a personal level to learn how you can show them gratitude and bring out the best in each of them.
Starting is the hardest part of delegation. The first few times you hand off tasks, you may feel concerned about quality and pace. But with practice, your team members will improve in their roles, and you will become better at delegating without worry.
Trust your hiring decisions and invite your team to actively support your company’s growth. They’ll appreciate the responsibility, and you’ll reclaim time to dedicate elsewhere in your business!
Hustle + Gather is a training and consulting firm that is on a mission to inspire others to take big leaps, dream big dreams, and create amazing teams that grow profits and an enjoyable (but productive) culture within business. They specialize in the hospitality industry and have coached and trained businesses to increase their profitability while creating a kick ass team along the way.
