The Warning Label
Last week we talked about the symptoms of “Wouda, Coulda, Shoulda” now let’s review the Warning Label including the benefits and potential side-effects of Delegation (don’t worry, these side-effects are all positive ones!).
Reduces Guilt
As a leader, you have a team looking to you for guidance, support, training and motivation, but you suffer “Leader’s Guilt” because you feel that you are not able to provide all that your team needs.
The Benefits of Delegation include:
- Consistent Team Recognition
- Individual Recognition for achievements
- Welcoming new team members
- Scheduling regular training calls/programs
- Sharing information, incentives, challenges, ideas with team
Side-Effects: you’ll have more time to be directly involved with your team, they will be happier because they will feel appreciated and recognized for their achievements, they may even engage in some “healthy competition” and work towards an incentives and promotions.
Eliminate Office Overwhelm:
This is one of the most common symptoms that I see in most Superstars, it’s that dreadful feeling of having to sit in your office at your desk/computer and manage the “back office” part of your business.
The Benefits of Delegation include:
- Having monthly reports run
- New contacts entered into a system
- Emails answered
- Email newsletter created, completed and sent
- Social Media posts created and scheduled
Side-Effects: you will spend less time in your office and more time engaged with your team, customers and prospects. When you do go to your office you will no longer feel overwhelmed but excited to see the results of your delegated tasks.
Warning Signs: Stress, Panic and Burnout
All these symptoms are a direct result of trying to do it all by yourself, no one person can manage all areas in running a business, at least not without experiencing any one of these symptoms. If you are attempting do be all things to all people, then let’s be honest you are feeling stressed and may be on the verge of burnout.
We all have things we are good at, and things we are not so good at, when you focus your attention on trying to do all these things, one of two things are going to happen:
- The things you are good at will suffer because you are using up your energy and talents trying to do the things you are not good at, so everything suffers, or…
- You are choose to ignore the things you are not as good at and they will build up and grow into a mountain of tasks that are well beyond what you are able to manage, and that looming feeling will cause everything to suffer
Either way you cannot and should not hide from the areas of business you do not enjoy because everything suffers. For example, have you ever put off your accounting until the end of the year or tried wrapping all your Christmas presents the night before? It’s an overwhelming task, and it doesn’t have to be that way.
Side-Effects: you may experience an increase in idea creation as a result of not having to figure out all aspects of how to implement them. You will share your ideas with your delegation partner, and together come up with the best way to create them, it’s a freeing process that many Superstars find to be an exciting part of delegating, sharing an idea and letting someone else help make it a reality.
Prescription: Turn Fear into Faith
I know you are feeling afraid, it’s a scary idea to share your business with someone else, and nobody can do what you do, like you do it. Delegating is not about replacing you, it’s about adding a partner who compliments your strengths, so you can focus on what you do best.
Take a look at what is holding you back in your business, chances are you have a pretty good idea already of what you should be delegating. Now think about when you first started your business, you were excited but afraid, but you knew if you took a chance you had an opportunity to change your life for the better, you had to step out in faith. Delegating requires a faithful step but the relief of delegating, to the right person, with complementary skills to yours, will allow you to breath a sigh of relief and get back to being the amazing Superstar we both know you are!
