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Learn the Art of Delegation
The key to getting more work done in less time is to delegate. If you parcel out certain jobs among your staff, you can devote more of your time to areas with greater profit potential. Besides, this will enable you to develop a workforce of thinkers, not just doers.
Here are several practical suggestions for getting started:
* Explain the concept clearly. At first, your employees may be hesitant to change the way they do things, particularly if they have been on the job for a long time. Begin by laying out all the ground rules. This would include which employees will do which jobs, what their goals will be, when assignments are due, how the work will be evaluated, etc. If everyone starts on the same page, the process should go much smoother.
* Be a "matchmaker." Not all employees thrive under a delegation system. The best approach is to begin with employees who have demonstrated the ability to think on their feet. Otherwise, you might end up with an endless stream of people coming to you for help-a sure sign that the delegation process isn't working out too well.
* Grant authority. In order for delegation to work well, you must empower your employees to make their own decisions. Do not make "delegation" just another word for the same old way of doing things.
* Obtain a commitment. In return for receiving greater authority, your employees have to understand that they will now be held more accountable for their decisions. To get this point across, spell out the rewards for those employees who succeed and the repercussions for those who fail.
* Monitor the work. In the beginning, you should keep a close watch on how well your staff is handling the delegation process. This is a tricky area. If you do too much monitoring, you are back to doing things on your own; too little, and you can lose track of what your personnel are doing.
* Evaluate the work. Once a project is done, set aside time to evaluate the employee's work. Has everything been completed to satisfaction and on time? If not, explain where the person went wrong and what you expect the next time. Try to offer specific and constructive criticism so that the person can learn from the experience.
* Leave professional services to the professionals. For instance, you would not expect an attorney, accountant or business consultant to know everything there is about running your business, so why would you assume that you know theirs? Obtain professional advice when it is appropriate. If you follow these basic suggestions, you should be on the path to greater productivity and profitability. Best of all: This could pay off for years to come.