Delegation is one of the biggest challenges in business. The growth rate of your company is directly dependent on your ability to delegate. However, leaders are afraid to transfer responsibilities to their subordinates. They think that if they hand over tasks or clients to employees, they will inevitably mess things up. This article discusses what really lies behind the fear of delegation and how to overcome it.

Myths and fears associated with delegation

1. Losing personal significance

It's so comfortable to do what you're best at, receiving praise and admiring glances. But you have to admit to yourself that in this case, you're not a leader but just a good performer.

2. Making mistakes in unfamiliar areas

When a leader delegates responsibilities to a specialist, they need to focus on company development, hiring, or training. All these are possibly new tasks for them. If you want to grow, you need to step out of your comfort zone and be ready to learn a new role as a novice.

3. Reluctance to leave the comfort zone

If the manager is a sales professional, they bring new clients to the company themselves, rather than delegating this task. They are comfortable in the role of a salesperson and fear stepping out of it.

If you want to learn how to delegate, you need a worthy goal. One for which you're ready to leave your comfort zone, abandon familiar responsibilities, and learn new ones. Ask yourself: «Why should I delegate responsibilities, and what will I gain in return?». The answers will motivate you to accelerate the process of transferring functions.

Benefits of delegation for leaders and business

I recommend starting with delegating sales, as they demand a lot of attention. Salespeople have to constantly interact with the client: call, consult, remind, and be courteous.

When you hire an effective sales manager and delegate tasks to them, you immediately free up half of your working time. Only then can you look at your business from the outside and see how to scale it quickly.

Here are the main benefits you'll gain from learning to delegate tasks:

1. Freeing up time for strategic planning

Leaders engaged in operational tasks often face the problem of not having enough time for strategic planning and business development. Delegation allows them to transfer certain tasks and functions to subordinates, thereby freeing up valuable time for market analysis, strategy development, and key managerial decision-making. This aspect of delegation contributes to the business's adaptability to changing market conditions.

2. Increasing employee motivation and engagement

Delegation encourages the development and growth of employees by giving them the opportunity to take responsibility for specific tasks. This not only enhances the professional level of the team but also strengthens its connection with the organization's goals. Employees who feel their contribution is important to experience an increase in motivation and engagement, which ultimately contributes to improving business performance.

3. Improving the efficiency of business processes

Delegation promotes the optimization of business processes. Distributing tasks according to the skills and expertise of employees allows for higher efficiency in task execution. Each team member can focus on what they do best, ultimately leading to an overall improvement in the organization's performance.

How to delegate responsibilities properly

To delegate responsibilities, you need to know who to transfer them to. For this, the company should have a system that helps distribute employees by function and understand who is responsible for what.

Do not transfer functions without explanations

Explain to the employee what functions you want to transfer to them and how it will affect the company's work and their career. Without explaining this information, they will think that you are just overwhelming them with extra work. As a consequence, they will not give their all and strive for high results.

Write down instructions

Document everything that will help cope with the task. Then the employee to whom you delegate the function will not spend a long time figuring out what to do and will start working immediately.

Ensure the employee understands the new responsibilities

After the employee has read the document about the transfer of functions, make sure they understand every point. If they have questions, discuss them immediately. This way, it will take only 1–2 weeks for the employee to get accustomed and perform the work efficiently.

Ask them to create a work plan

Give the employee the task of creating a plan to strengthen the new area of responsibility. Then review it and make corrections. Until you get the perfect plan, the function should remain with you. This will help you understand when the employee is fully ready to take over the job.

Monitor the execution

The employee won't do everything perfectly right away — full adaptation takes time. While they are getting used to the new role, monitor, support, and guide them. Check the progress of their work plan daily: what they have accomplished and where they are facing difficulties.

Many entrepreneurs don't delegate for years, justifying it by saying the company earns too little and there is no money for staff expansion. But I believe there is no such thing as «no money» in business.

If a company cannot produce its product without certain equipment, you calculate how much you will earn from investing in the technology and find a way to get the money: borrow, take out a loan, or reduce your income.

The same thinking should apply when hiring people. Calculate the benefit of a new person on the staff: they can increase sales levels, enhance profitability, attract new clients, relieve you from your daily routine, and save time that you can spend on developing the company. Calculate in figures how much this will bring you in terms of money, and you'll understand that investing in people is necessary.

Yes, finding the right person might not happen on the first try: you need to put them on probation, train, and correct mistakes. You might spend an amount equivalent to several salaries before you find the right person. But compare these expenses with the return you'll get from creating a new job, and you'll see that people can provide an even higher investment return than material assets like new equipment.