Dave,

Can you recommend any business/management books specifically on delegating?

As always thanks,

Dave

Dave,

Just about any book on time management will touch on this and they are all pretty much the same. The E-myth Revisited is always top on my list so I would have you start there.

The Hard Way

Here are some bullet points of the things I learned the hard way when dealing with delegation.

  • If you're running a business or company you really can only focus on one or two priorities per day. Many people will say otherwise, but I feel if you're going to do it, then you better do it to the best of your ability. The more strategic the work, the more thought and time needs to be put into it.
  • I don't feel you should delegate your core competencies unless you have VERY SOLID systems in place before hand. Even then these should only be delegated to trusted managers who live and breath the vision of the company.
  • You need to get rid of the idea that you are the only one who can do it and nobody else can do it better. This is pure BS! There are many people who can do it better and most of the time they're already working for you.
  • If you do delegate, there needs to be a level of trust. Delegating and assigning a task are totally different. To me delegating is moving an entire project onto someone else (or another firm). You have to be clear on what the expected result is and what means will and will not be tolerated in getting there.
  • Regardless of project or task, you can't think of delegation as abandonment. You have to have a system (indicators) in place to circle back to make sure the work is being done. You are the owner so everything that happens in your company is your responsibility! Remember when you hire someone and give them a project or task, you're giving them the ability to act on your behalf. Thought of another way, they are acting on behalf of everyone associated with the company. Think on this one for some time. This can make or break you.
  • If you want to have the time to build your business you have to build systems of delegation that work and are effective. It doesn't matter what system you start with as long as it's quantified. If it's effective you stick with it. If not - create a new one.
  • If you are in a position to delegate everything but the strategic work of the business I HIGHLY suggest you find a way to stay grounded and in touch with your staff. I'm sure many of you have watched Undercover Boss where the CEO's go undercover inside their own companies. They see things from a different perspective and many time are shocked at some of the things they have missed. They have been removed from all the administrative work and have lost touch with the day to day in exchange for building a stronger tomorrow. This same thing can and does happen in small business (2-20 people) as well - maybe more so. Create a system or plan for this before it happens.
  • NEVER delegate because you are scared or uncomfortable. DEAL WITH IT! This is part of having a business, being the CEO or manager. Give yourself 24 hours if you need, but the sooner you deal with it the better everything and everyone will be.
  • Stop making excuses! I hear people tell me all the time that they don't have time, don't have money, don't know what to do, and so on. Many times these are the same people that if you did help they still wouldn't do it because it's not help they want - they want your charity or to feel sorry for them. They also happen to be the same people who own smart phones and ask you what the weather will be like today.

Here is the dictionary definition:

delegate
noun |ˈdeligit|
a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference.
• a member of a committee.

verb |ˈdeləˌgāt| [ trans. ]
entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one who is less senior than oneself : he delegates routine tasks | the power delegated to him must never be misused.
• [ trans. ] send or authorize (someone) to do something as a representative : Edward was delegated to meet new arrivals.

Other Thoughts

"Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter isn't a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it." - Donald Rumsfeld

"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere." - Ronald Reagan

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore Roosevelt

"No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit." - Andrew Carnegie

"Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too." - Robert Half

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - George S Patton