WANT TO CLONE YOURSELF? Master the Art of Delegation.

If you want it done right; do it yourself. Wrong!

There are loads of reasons why we choose not to delegate: we don’t have the time to train someone else, fear of losing control, losing the jobs we actually enjoy- just to name a few. But time is the greatest equalizer in life and if you want to step into the visionary and be the amazing CEO that you are, you must learn to let go of the day to day and move this business forward. As Harvard Business Review puts it, "One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading."

 So where to begin? Here are five steps to delegate with confidence.

1.   Take stock of what your strengths and weaknesses are. A great place to start is here.

2.   Assess the strengths your current team has and where the gaps live.

It’s important to align your team with what they love to do and what they’re inherently good at. It lets them shine, fosters engagement and has the advantage of a built in succession plan y’all. But it also shows you what skill sets are missing so you can plan for the future.

3.   Be clear in expectations.

This is non-negotiable. People aren’t mind readers and you will be wasting valuable time if expectations aren’t clear.  What do they say “A confused mind always says no”. Now, I get that’s more from a marketing standpoint, but you get the idea. A great place to start is simple: job title, scope of work and targets to hit. Here’s the thing- high achievers strive for targets. They want to hit those milestones so allow them the opportunity to shine and be clear on what you’re all moving towards.

4.   Support in transition.

Be aware that when you first delegate a task, it will take longer. Be patient and resist the urge to take it back. Remember, this is an investment.

If you can’t delegate an entire process; that’s okay, delegate as much as possible. You can can still have oversight until the transition is done, but create space for these check-ins as required.

5.  Accountability.

Once this has fully transitioned, how are you keeping on track? What system is in place to measure the progress?

This is for the health of your business but it also supports your team. This is a fantastic opportunity to recognize them for their hard work and achievements but also determining any obstacles that are getting in their way and support them moving forward.

This is without a doubt a huge time investment and one that you may think you don’t have time for, but bringing in support as a financial investment won’t be worth the money, if you don’t invest the time in to your people and your growth.

Although we’re not quite there with cloning ourselves today; getting the right people doing the right things might get you closer than you think. 

What gets in your way with delegation?