There are times when you’re able to complete all your tasks without any assistance. However, there’s only so much you can do on your own no matter how hard you work. After all, there’s a limit to how many hours in a day there are, as well as how many tasks you can accomplish during that period.

As good as it might be for you to be able to fly solo, you won’t be able to keep it up for long. You’ll soon notice that you’re stagnating in your output. You may even begin to grow bored of your routine. Exhaustion soon creeps in as you struggle to keep your head above the water. It’s likely you’ll end up in an endless cycle of trying to catch up to deadlines everyday.

You must realise that running a business or team isn’t supposed to be a one-person show.

You may think it is a waste of time to delegate things that you can perform well on your own. Even so, everyone could use some help to get more things done in an effective and consistent manner. Not only does this save you time, but also enables you to focus on more high-value activities.

Here are Strategies for Successful Delegation

Know what’s holding you back

Many bosses are worried about delegating out of fear that the job won’t be done properly or the belief that it takes longer to explain the details than do things yourself. Nevertheless, you must learn to let go.

You can start with the smallest tasks and work your way up until you get the hang of it.

Figure out what you need to delegate

Take a close look at the work that’s currently on your plate and determine which must be done by you or could be assigned to someone else. Think about time constraints too.

Do you have enough hours today or this week to complete all items on your to-do list? If not, get someone else to handle it.

Categorise by priority

This will depend on various factors, including (but not limited to) your industry, your specialisation, and the types of tasks you normally do.

Next, create categories according to the degree of skill and effort required for each assignment. Keep those that need your expertise and leave the rest for your team to take care of.

Find out your team’s capabilities

Each person is going to bring something different to the table and you need to cater to these unique traits. For instance:

• One team member might be slow but meticulous, so they’re suitable for non-urgent jobs that require attention to detail.
  
  
• Another might be sloppy yet fast, so they’re perfect for high-priority but simple tasks.

Establish a management system

Make delegation part of your workflow seamlessly by creating a system. Begin by examining how you spend your days, then make a list of tasks that need delegating and the employees who’d be appropriate for each.

Tip: You may also want to craft a template for project emails.

Take time to teach

There are probably stuff on your list that only you know how to do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach someone how to do them.

Certainly, it’ll consume more time than doing the job yourself, but think of it as an investment. Teach them now and have them handle all relevant tasks in the future.

Give clear instructions

Even if an employee has prior knowledge regarding an assignment from their previous workplace, don’t assume that they know how to do the task you’ve delegated to them. There may be details unique to your business such as a specific system or format.

Hence, write down detailed instructions for each and every job.

Take a step back

Trust your workers to do their work to the best of their abilities. This gives them the freedom to tackle their assignments as they see fit.

It’s also a good idea to verify the progress and ensure that deadlines will be met. Maybe you can schedule a quick meeting every start of the week so they can check-in.

Provide the necessary resources

Make sure your team has access to all the resources they need to successfully accomplish their jobs to your satisfaction.

For instance, your writers might appreciate premium access to Copyscape to check for plagiarism hits. Likewise, your graphic designer may need paid membership to stock photo databases.

Give and receive feedback

Set aside time to provide your feedback to your employees to foster an atmosphere of excellence. Ask for their input about how their schedules or your instructions are.

Give everyone a chance to discuss any challenges they encounter and ask for suggestions to improve the process.

Building an Efficient Team

Learning to delegate takes time, especially when your team has just started to grow. There may be moments when you feel lost and confused but just do what you can to get back on track.

Employees who understand the importance of delegation, are quick-learners, and require minimal supervision are nice to have in this situation.

If you’re in the process of adding to your numbers, why not give us a call? We at Remote Workmate provide assistance in finding qualified virtual workers who meet your requirements.