We all make deals with ourselves. Whether it’s a deal to work out every day or a plan to expand our business, deals are what keep us motivated. Some of them we keep and others we don’t. The ones that we let go I believe are for two reasons. 1- We are scared. 2- We are overwhelmed.
Anything and everything scares me, but what I have learned is that when I feel scared is exactly when I need to take the leap. Nothing will ever be perfect and we will never be completely prepared, but in order to grow, we must break outside our comfort zone.
Delegate
Once you get past the fear of saying yes and making positive changes for yourself you need to figure out what is bogging you down. Then you delegate.
When I say the word ‘delegate’ I literally cringe. As a business owner and control freak, the thought of delegating makes my heart race.
I’m sure some of you have and are going through the same thing. You think that it will take so much time explaining the task that you’re better off doing it. After all, you will do it best, right? Also, what if your staff member makes a mistake or doesn’t do it the way you would? It’s your name on the business. It’s your reputation.
I’ve had these thoughts, time and time again. BUT….as I have slowly learned, in order to be successful, you can NOT do it all. You need to delegate. The job will get done. Mistakes will be made. Nothing is perfect. And your team members way may be better than yours!
Delegating allows you to focus on what you are supposed to be doing and all of those projects that you put off. It took me a while to get here, but giving up some of my responsibilities was the best decision ever. Here’s what worked for me.
What’s Your Weakness?
A good friend once told me that I should focus on what I am good at and hire someone to handle the jobs that are not my specialty. Bottom line, what do you not like to do? If you are not good at bookkeeping and accounting, outsource that.
The amount of time that I was spending on the business expenses, invoices and profit and loss statements were taking me away from what I’m really good at. I’m a publicist, not a bookkeeper. A few years ago I outsourced a bookkeeper. And it was the best decision I could have made.
Prioritize
Think about your top priorities. What can you give up? What will free you up to do your actual work? You will need to think through your top delegation priorities and how you will assign, track and manage the delegated work.
Focus on your biggest priorities first. Ask yourself these two questions:
1. Does this need to be completed now?
2 Do I need to do this task myself or can someone else?
Let Go
Letting go allows for more work to get done at a quicker pace. Mistakes will be made and sometimes it may not be done the exact way you hoped, but it will not be the end of the world.
Trust the process and the people you have on your team, they’re there for a reason. As you grow, you will have more responsibilities and you can’t do everything.
Remember, you can’t do it all!
What has worked for you? I would love for you to share some of your tips on delegating!