That's Business

Sometimes, a small business owner is overwhelmed with all his responsibilities and duties. He works long hours even on the weekend. One of the best things the owner can do is to learn the art of delegation.

Its hard to let go of a part of the business. Business owners have a difficult time trusting that someone else can do as good of a job as they can. The owner worries that if they delegate something that the quality of the business will go down. The sooner they can get over those feelings the better. And, the sooner the business owner learns to delegate, the faster the business will begin to surge ahead and grow.

First, take time to evaluate all of the responsibilities you have and all of the things you do during the work day. Once everything is identified, evaluate which employee has the best skills to do the tasks and assign him the work. If you feel that there really isnt anyone qualified to do the work, select someone that you intimately trust. Talk to the person to see if he is willing to take on the task which means that he will have to stretch and grow into the work given to him. Delegating will be more successful if there is reciprocal trust.

Second, clearly communicate your expectations to the person you are delegating the task to. Make sure that they know exactly what you want and how you want it done. (Remember, part of the communication process is to express thanks for a job well done.)

Once your employee knows exactly what to do and what is expected, step out of the way! Let him do the job. Dont hover over his shoulder monitoring his every move.

And last, set up a return and report system. Set up a regular time when you can meet with your employee and get a report on the work accomplished.