Running your own business and watching it grow is a source of pride for many small business owners. It makes sense that watching your business grow would reinforce the idea that you can achieve your goals independently of other people or outside help. While this may be the case for some challenges, it is not true for business. Here is how to effectively delegate to your team as a small business owner.
Let Go of Total Control
Since you started your very own business, it’s understandable that you would feel protective over many small aspects of it. However, if you want to achieve the best possible outcomes, you will need to relinquish some of this control and allow other people to help you. This is why it is so important that you hire team members you can trust to handle your projects as sensitively as you would yourself. If you have created a team of employees you don’t trust, you have made an error in recruiting the wrong people.
Maintain Strong Lines of Communication
They say that if you want something to be done properly, you have to do it yourself. This becomes unfortunately true when those in charge of a project who have delegated tasks to their team are unwilling to keep lines of communication open. You cannot expect your employees to perform to the best of their ability if you make it difficult for them to ask questions and access information. Tools such as Simpplr make it easier for employers to streamline internal communications, meaning that task completion and allocation are less of a challenge. Even if you cannot be available for long, let your team know when you can be consulted should they experience trouble with their portions of the project. Don’t leave people in the dark, and then expect them to produce wonderful results. Encourage the sharing of ideas and information to make the project a greater success.
Understand Your Team’s Skillsets
A good employer knows the details of their team members’ experience and skills, especially in a small business. Use this knowledge to allocate tasks appropriately to individuals whose talents will lend themselves well to each challenge. For example, entrust the marketing materials to a person you know has a background in design or media. Use this information to also combine skillsets and create effective sub-teams. Pay attention to who works well together and who doesn’t as this will be valuable information at a later date when you have to delegate again.
Don’t Micromanage
The whole point of delegating to your team is to free up your own mind for paying attention to important matters that no one else can address. If you waste this time micromanaging your employees, you won’t see the success you are hoping for. Instead, trust that you have given the right tasks to the right people and that they will handle the rest. Give yourself enough time to adequately evaluate the output once the project is complete so that you can become a better delegator in the future.
