How to start delegating in your business?

First of all, do you have a work system, and clear rules? The rules of the game must be clear to the delegate and we must ensure that he has the necessary tools to decide, such as prior experience, accessibility to information sources, among others, from the definition of objectives and tasks to be performed.

Delegating without clear rules is like trying to assemble a piece of furniture without an instruction manual.

Growing means delegating.

The SME is born without delegation. It is born with a few people in charge, and there are tasks and decisions "cooked". Flexibility is high, the tuning is fast. It works by mutual adjustment. The development of the business complicates the scenario, making it necessary to add collaborators and distinguish roles and functions, including intermediate positions of supervision that are often occupied by people of greatest confidence. This whole process usually takes place in an unplanned way. To gain effectiveness in this new scenario, it is important to implement mechanisms from the leaders.

To delegate, you need to trust.

Above all, a professional with a heavy workload needs to trust to delegate; trust in those who work with him/her, in those people who can assume responsibilities, make decisions and who are equally professional. People who want to develop their work in a competent and successful way. Therefore, the first point is to trust in the professionalism of others.

Delegate functions if you want to assume other tasks as an owner.

If you want to move forward you will have to take on new challenges. You will have to leave less important tasks in the hands of other colleagues to face greater objectives. It is absolutely impossible to grow without investing efforts in things of greater value.

Don't expect perfection

Your goal is to get the job done, not to create a masterpiece. Set a quality standard and a time frame for its completion. Once you make clear what the expectations are, give your staff space to decide how to carry out the project.

Make sure to provide clear and concise instructions

Make sure your employees have all the information they need to complete the job. Ask your subordinate if they understand (and accept) what you are asking them.

Focus on teaching new skills

Delegating doesn't mean leaving others with the work you don't like, but rather allowing your employees to improve their skills and develop their good judgment. As you give them greater responsibilities, it is important to understand that the process of learning new skills sometimes involves a few missteps. So don't punish employees who make their best effort to get the job done.

Delegate responsibility and authority, not just tasks

Managers who fail to delegate responsibility for the tasks will find themselves reporting to their subordinates and taking part in the work, when it should actually be the other way around.

Review the progress

Let employees do the work, but periodically monitor their progress. You don't need to be on top of them or watch every single one of their moves. When you set expectations, you should also set some points to track the project.

Three keys to effectively delegate

Step 1: Determine the objectives

Now, there is a simple three-step process that anyone can approach right now. You will see how the result changes as you practice it consistently. First, determine the objectives you want to achieve. Most of the time, leaders order certain tasks to be done, without setting measurable and achievable goals in the assigned time. If you have clarity in this regard, you have advanced fifty percent towards success.

Step 2: Instruct your staff

The next step is to explain the purpose. Something as simple as this, which means explicitly detailing why what you are delegating is important. Convene the appropriate people, take the time to provide the information necessary to develop the tasks. Here -as in life- the purpose is what gives meaning to what we do. Therefore, a delegation without purpose is like living without a purpose.

Step 3: Follow up

And, finally, establish a follow-up method. Setting two or three intermediate stages, agree on how both parties will supervise the execution of the tasks. Then, leave the process without interference. You will probably be surprised with alternative paths that your collaborators discover and that you had not thought of. The follow-up has a double purpose: to gain the confidence of both parties, and, in turn, to be able to suggest corrections and improvements before the final moment. In this way, you will avoid surprises.