How To Delegate More Effectively

Delegation is one of the more difficult tasks for showroom owners and managers. However, when you don’t delegate effectively you send negative messages to your team that you don’t trust them to perform to your expectation. You also limit your ability to grow because there is only one of you. To delegate more effectively, change the paradigm of how you interact with the team members who report directly to you. Flip the switch. Instead of you checking on the status of a project or deadline, have your team check in with you. Create a regular meeting schedule to discuss the status of current projects. Regularly scheduled meetings tell the team what you expect from them and when. It also sends the message that you are concerned with outcomes rather than process.

Trust your team’s ability to perform to expectation. After all, you hired and trained your team members. You don’t have to play a role in every decision that they make. Perhaps a better approach is to communicate what is needed and provide the support and resources necessary for your team members to be successful.

To delegate more effectively, get out of your comfort zone by delegating tasks that challenge individual team members and requires them to get out of their comfort zones to learn new tasks and take on new projects. However, don’t simply throw a team member into the deep end and hope he or she will swim instead of sink. Give feedback after a task has been performed and identify both successes and opportunities for improvement. Real-world experience is the best teacher and will help your team members grow personally and professionally.

When you delegate more effectively, you can spend more time growing your business.