Delegation is important when running a business.

Here’s an interesting yet perplexing paradox I regularly encounter with entrepreneurs and small business leaders. Most of them readily admit that they should delegate more. But, when pressed for a commitment, they often offer one or more of these excuses for not doing it.  

It doesn’t make sense for me to delegate because …  

• No one can do it better. I know more about this topic/task than anyone else in the organization, so why would I have anyone else do it? 
• This task is too important for me to lose control over it, so I better do it myself. 
• I know that the process of delegating properly takes a lot of time that I don’t have. It’s easier and faster for me to do it myself. 
• I have good people here, but I don’t trust anyone enough to handle this important task. 
• I like doing this task. It makes up for having to do lots of other things to run the business that I don’t like. 
• The people I try to delegate to will complain about the extra work or want more money for doing it. I don’t need that kind of hassle. It’s easier to keep doing it myself. 

The irony is that each of these reasons makes sense some of the time or in the short term. However, when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the long-term weaknesses of each.   

If any of these sound like you and you want to do something about it, reach out and we’ll discuss these important questions: 

1. Why should you delegate? What’s in it for you? What’s in it for the people you delegate to? 
2. What should you delegate as a whole? Can you delegate specific pieces and parts of other tasks? 
3. What shouldn’t you delegate? Not every aspect of your business is appropriate, so how do you concentrate on those that are? 
4. Who do you delegate to? How do you use delegation as a management development tool? 
5. How do you do it properly? What are your best practices? What have you seen others do well that you can replicate?  

Sound like a plan to you? Then let’s begin this journey together and harness the power of delegation. 

Phil Stella runs Effective Training & Communication, 440 804-4785, empowering business leaders to reduce the pain with workplace communication and sales pitches. A popular trainer and executive coach on writing, communication styles and sales presentations, Stella is also on the Cleveland faculty of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program