As you build your business, your role is bound to expand in turn. And the stakes only get higher — if you drop a ball now, it can have serious consequences for your business.

Founders are all too aware of this reality. But too often, instead of asking others for help, they feel even more responsibility to do it all themselves. They double down, working harder rather than working smarter.

On remote teams, delegation can pose special challenges. When you can’t look over someone’s shoulder, you might worry about how you’ll gauge their progress on a new task. But in reality, you shouldn’t be constantly looking over their shoulder anyway.

In some cases, delegation means making a new hire. Other times, it means handing over a task to a trusted member of your team. Rather than hiring a new employee, you might need to upskill a current one.

Let’s take a look at why delegation is so crucial for any leader. Then, we’ll delve into strategies for leveraging this core leadership skill to grow your team’s capabilities.

Consequences of Avoiding Delegation

When leaders avoid delegation, they set themselves up for high levels of stress — and ultimately, burnout. Moreover, they lack time for the value-generating activities that drive business success, like strategic planning.

In turn, team outcomes suffer and organizations lack the creative direction that could propel them to the next level. And by conveying a lack of trust in employees, failure to delegate also erodes team culture and confidence.

One in 6 leaders is experiencing burnout, which can stem from lack of delegation, a recent report by the leadership consulting firm DDI shows. Burnt-out leaders are half as likely to be engaged and 3.5 times more likely to leave their company. But learning to delegate plays a pivotal role in preventing burnout, DDI found.

For these reasons, a full 91% of HR execs in the U.S. say delegation is a core leadership skill. Delegation can also help build a foundation of trust with clients. By asking a trusted team member for support with client communications, for instance, you can improve the client experience.

Why Leaders Struggle to Delegate

When you think about delegating a responsibility, do you catch yourself thinking one of these thoughts?

• “It’s my responsibility to handle this task or project.”
• “No one else can do it as well as me.”
• “They’re not ready for that kind of responsibility.”
• “I’m not sure how to coach them on how to handle that task.”
• “I have zero time for training someone to do that.”

Most leaders fall into these thought patterns at some point, which keeps them from working more effectively. As a founder, you need to focus on freeing up time for the tasks that really matter — which means trusting people to take on new challenges when they’ve shown they’re ready for them.

Strategies for Effective Delegation

Real delegation involves more than just piling tasks on people. Rather, it entails a genuine transfer of responsibility and authority, followed by meaningful feedback. This always brings risk — but it’s a strategic risk that ultimately helps your team and business to grow. Take these steps to master the art of delegation. You won’t just make sure that essential tasks get done — you’ll also enhance your people’s growth and build up their confidence.

Create a “Stop Doing” List

In an earlier post on how to hire the right talent, I mentioned the importance of defining your strengths and crafting a “stop doing” list. The tasks on this list are the ones you need to delegate. They’re the ones that don’t require your skill set or maximize the value you bring to your business. So, sit down and make a list of all the tasks and priorities you handle each week. Then, circle the ones that don’t require your expertise or abilities.

Start with Strengths

Determine the best person to hand a task off to by considering their key strengths and interests. Has anyone expressed the desire to build their skills in this area? Does a team member already have abilities that lend themselves well to the task, even if they don’t possess formal training? Consider team members’ career goals, too. Would building skills in this area prepare them for advancement?

Adopt a Framework

Often leaders feel unclear about what the process of delegation should actually look like. Using a clear framework can help you set a new pattern for offloading responsibilities. The Project Management Institute shares the 30% Solution:

• Spend the first 20% of the project working together.
• Then, let the employee handle the bulk of the project (70%) on their own. Give feedback at regular intervals.
• Wrap up the project (the last 10%) in collaboration with the employee.

With this framework, you can nail down all the crucial details while still letting the employee work independently for a good chunk of time. Next time they handle the task or project, they might be ready to tackle it on their own.

Avoid Micromanaging

Don’t control exactly how a task gets done, as long as it gets done well. In other words, delegate the deliverables, not the methods. Train the employee in using any necessary tools or processes, but after that, trust them to handle it. They might find creative solutions or time-savers you hadn’t even thought of.

Set Clear Expectations

Define what success looks like for a given deliverable, setting key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, achieving higher complaint resolution rates or customer retention rates could be a KPI. Make KPIs measurable by setting a specific numeric target, like a 35% increase. You can also create handy guides that explain workflow processes and desired outcomes, especially if you’ll be handing off a task to different people over time. That way, no one has to reinvent the wheel — and expectations will be clearer.

Ask Clarifying Questions

Ask questions to assess understanding as you explain a new task or project. At the same time, don’t sound like you’re testing people. Ask them to describe the key points or process you’ve explained, so you can clear up anything that felt confusing. And invite them to ask any questions, too (even ones that may seem trivial).

Balance Support and Accountability

As people build proficiency in a new task, share constructive feedback. Then, hold them accountable for meeting expectations. Striking a balance between support and accountability will help you coach employees to success, as the Society for Human Resource Management says. Let’s discuss a few key ways to do this.

• Encourage risk-taking; let people try new ways of approaching a problem.
• Request a periodic snapshot of progress. Then, share detailed input with the employee.
• Use any hurdles as a springboard for growth. Ask questions that prompt reflection and help the employee to move toward solutions rather than just being spoon-fed the answers.
• Hold review sessions at regular intervals. For a larger project, this might be once per week. For smaller tasks, share bite-sized feedback more informally.

People won’t always get it 100% right on the first try — and that’s okay. Continue coaching them to success as they hone their ability to handle the task. In most cases, giving plenty of support and validation will help them quickly get up to speed. If you’re unsure who to delegate responsibilities to, IA Blueprint can help. We pair organizations with qualified assistants who are ready to tackle a range of business needs, from remarketing clients to sending and tracking important documents. And since they’re already equipped with insurance experience, they’re ready to hit the ground running. To talk in more depth about finding the right virtual assistant for you, schedule a call!