There is not enough time in the day for an entrepreneur to accomplish everything they need to do. There will come a time when the entrepreneur has to delegate. Eventually, the business owner becomes a bottleneck in the company’s processes. How can you learn to delegate more?
Delegating is a challenge for entrepreneurs.
The following are a few examples of emotional barriers that make it difficult for an entrepreneur to delegate:
Time: Some entrepreneurs feel as if they don'tt have the time to train others and that they can get the work done faster. In reality, when an entrepreneur spends time on tasks that are really not worth their time, they are wasting both money and opportunities. It makes more sense to pay others for simple tasks so that the entrepreneur can focus on the more important things.
Quality: Other entrepreneurs also feel as if they are the only ones who can get the job done right and deliver quality results. The entrepreneur does not have to accept the lower quality, rather they need to take the time to train others to do the task properly. It makes sense to spend a little time training to save lots of time later to focus on the more important things.
Control: Some entrepreneurs struggle with loosening control over the business. It can be crucial to maintain control in the startup phase, but as the business grows there comes a time when the entrepreneur needs to implement alternative ways to maintain the control.
Overcoming emotional barriers is not going to be easy. Over time with a process, it will become easier to overcome these barriers. To start, the entrepreneur needs to recognize what is holding them back and recognize that they need to delegate. That is the first step towards transitioning from a good entrepreneur to a good business manager.
The "Delegation Ladder"
After recognizing the need to delegate, the entrepreneur can learn how to delegate well by mastering a 9-step process. The entrepreneur can use GrowthWheel’s “Delegation Ladder” to learn how to become a good delegator. The “Delegation Ladder” consists of three phases and each phase has three steps.
Planning Phase
In the planning phase, the entrepreneur needs to:
Decide which tasks to delegate,
Describe how to complete the task in relation to other processes and tasks, and
Determine the right employee for the task.
Delegation Phase
In the delegation phase, the entrepreneur needs to:
Describe the task, the intention behind the assignment, and the intended outcome,
Brief the employee and then check for the employee’s understanding, and
Educate or train the employee to perform the task as needed.
Control Phase
In the control phase, the entrepreneur needs to:
Supervise the employee in order to provide support, answer questions, and monitor progress,
Follow up with the employee on the task progress especially if the deadline has passed, and
Debrief the employee to evaluate the results and provide feedback.
Even though the delegation process takes time, it ultimately saves the entrepreneur time in the long run and lays the foundation for the development of the business and for the entrepreneur.
If you would like guidance on delegating and transitioning from the role of an good entrepreneur to a good manager, contact us to coordinate your GrowthWheel one-on-one consultation.