The scene might not be a hard one to picture: you’re way behind schedule, you’re buried in work, and you’re not sure how to get out from under the massive piles of paperwork on your desk.
But the question is, should all that work be on your desk?
Delegation is a strategy many leaders are aware of, but not all of us use it as often as we should, and for many reasons. However, delegating work can take a lot of the weight off of your overworked shoulders. Here’s why you should probably be delegating much more than you are now.
Delegation Develops Your Leadership Skills
Delegation is a critical leadership skill to have, whether you’re new to management or you’re a seasoned expert. Beyond this, delegating opens you up for opportunities to develop other leadership skills. Only by sending out less important tasks and reducing your own workload can you start considering the skills, mindset, and strategies you need to work toward as a leader.
Delegate To Keep You From Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Feel like you have too much on your plate? It’s probably because you do. When you’re overworked, it not only cuts into your ability to do the managerial work you should be focused on, but it can also hurt your team. If you’re not paying attention to the tasks that really matter, you can’t hope to manage the employees who depend on you. Spread the load around to work smarter, not harder.
Delegation Is Good for Your Team
Your people want to feel empowered to do their jobs—which is hard when you’re running around doing everything for them. Delegating allows your people to feel like they’re actively contributing to the team’s success. In addition, new challenges and projects can even help them develop their skill sets and further their career growth. And if you want an even more personal reason to delegate, don’t forget that everyone likes to feel trusted. Showing that you trust your team enough to hand critical tasks off to them can be a huge motivator, as well as a sign that their work is valued.
Delegation Can Ramp Up Your Profits
When you hand out assignments that free up your time, you give yourself the opportunity to tackle more of the projects that move the needle in terms of revenue. Larger strategic analysis or marketing and advertising campaigns are the kinds of work you can only tackle once you finally have the bandwidth to take them on.
Delegation isn’t a dirty word. It’s a strategy that can help develop yourself and your team, and doing it the right way can even impact your company’s growth. If you’ve never tried it before, there may be a bit of a learning curve as you consider the tasks best suited to your people, but you’ll be surprised what a difference it can make!
If you’re a new entrepreneur, check out our other tips for entrepreneurship or take a look at our other blog posts for more insights.
