I hate to break it to you, but contrary to popular opinion (among small business owners), you can’t do everything yourself. However, many business owners and professionals run into small business management issues because they just don’t understand the importance of delegation or how to do it right.
In a recent post, I outlined the benefits of effective delegation. Today, I’m going to talk about common delegation mistakes:
- Failure to provide leadership or set specific goals and expectations. It’s hard for anyone to do a good job when they’re not aware of what you’re trying to achieve. Simply giving someone a task without spelling out what outcome you’re looking for often confuses the issue and leaves too much to chance.
- Not matching the right person to the right job. Small business owners are famous for grabbing someone to “help them out” at the last minute, often resulting in having to do it over themselves. Careful pairing of skills, abilities style and experience can save you time and money, and ensure that the job you’re delegating gets done right the first time.
- Micromanaging and being in-flexible. If you’re like most small business owners and professionals, you’re probably used to doing everything yourself, or find it difficult to give up control. Successful delegators let their subordinates know what they’re trying to achieve and give them space to do the work in their own way.
- Failure to build in accountability. Simply giving someone a task and not holding them accountable is a recipe for disaster. Make sure that your employees understand what’s expected of them, and develop specific measures to hold them accountable for their actions and results.
- Being in-consistent. No one likes to be told one thing one day and another the next. The most effective delegators send a consistent message and get back consistent results.
- No confidence in the person you’re delegating to. This goes right back to pairing the right person to the right job. If you’ve done that and still lack confidence that they’ll do the right thing, ask them to give you a plan of attack first.
It’s hard to do everything yourself. If you’re tired of making delegation mistakes, learn more about my business coaching programs.
Susan Martin, Business Coach
