Book 15 with TomDelegation is easy. You hand something over, then it comes back to you on Thursday with a question, then again on Friday with a problem, and by Monday you have quietly taken it back. Sound familiar?
Here is how to delegate as a business owner so the work actually stays delegated.
Step 1: Choose what to hand over first
Write down everything you did last week. Mark each task: only I can do this, someone else could do this at least 80 percent as well, or this should not be done at all. Start with the second group, and pick tasks that are frequent, well understood and low risk. Early wins build trust on both sides.
Step 2: Delegate the result, not the task
Instead of please send the invoices, try you own getting paid on time. Describe what done looks like, the standard, the deadline and the limits of their authority. People rise to ownership; they shrink when handed a chore.
Step 3: Write it down once
A one page checklist or a short screen recording beats explaining it five times. It also means the next person can learn it without you.
Step 4: Agree how you will check in
Agree in advance when you will review progress, for example a weekly ten minute check. That stops both hovering and silence. Use the check in to coach, not to take the job back.
Step 5: Let it be done differently
If the result is right, the method can be different from yours. Fix only what affects the result. Rewriting every email in your own voice is the fastest way to teach people to hand everything back.
Why delegation fails, and what to do
- You hand over tasks but keep the decisions, so every decision still queues at your door
- There is no clear standard, so you judge by feel and step back in
- You are too busy to train, so you stay too busy
- Mistakes are punished, so people stop trying. Blameless reporting helps here
Bring one business wobble
Fifteen honest minutes with Dr Tom Hitchcock. Bring the problem you cannot quite name. No surprise proposal ambush and no hard sell. If coaching is not the right move, Tom will tell you, and usually point you somewhere useful.
How to Delegate as a Business Owner: questions people ask
- What should a business owner delegate first?
- Frequent, well understood, low risk tasks that someone else can do at least 80 percent as well as you. Admin, scheduling, invoicing and routine customer updates are common starting points.
- How do I delegate when nobody does it as well as me?
- Agree the standard that matters for the result and accept differences in method. Train to the standard, then give it time. Early on, 80 percent as good and done by someone else is a win.
- What if I do not have anyone to delegate to?
- Look at contractors, a virtual assistant, software or simply stopping the task. Our guide to hiring your first employee helps when it is time to bring someone in.
- How can a business coach help with delegation?
- By helping you choose what to hand over, design the handover and stick to it when the temptation to grab it back arrives, which it will.
We also offer business coaching for particular sectors where Tom has deep experience: business coaching for NDIS providers, business coaching for aged care leaders and business coaching for allied health practice owners.