EP 206: Why Delegation Feels So Hard (And How to Do It Without Losing Control)

Delegation isn't about dumping tasks on someone else; it's about creating capacity so your business can grow beyond what you can personally execute.

But if you've tried to delegate before and it didn't go well, you're not alone. Most delegation fails not because of the task itself, but because of the process we use. 

In this episode, I explain why delegation feels so hard and shares the exact 3-step framework for effective delegation: choosing the right tasks using the delegation decision matrix, fully equipping your team with what they need to succeed and providing support without micromanaging. 

If you've ever taken a task back and told yourself, "it's just easier to do it myself," this episode will show you why that happened ... and how to fix it going forward. 

💡 In This Episode, You'll Learn How To: 

• Understand why delegation feels so risky (and why taking tasks back makes it worse) 
• Use the delegation decision matrix to choose the right tasks to let go 
• Equip your team so they can succeed without needing you at every step 
• Set up support systems that prevent micromanaging and confusion 
• Create real capacity in your business without sacrificing quality 

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Access your free Business Alignment Audit based on my RISE Framework today!

Connect with Leandra

Apply for my 90-Day CEO Empowerment Intensive if you're a profitable female business owner that's ready to step into strategic CEO-level leadership with clarity, calm and an action plan that actually fits you, your business and your lifestyle.
 
Have a question you'd like me to answer on the show? I'd love to hear from you! Send me a DM on Instagram @leandracreates with your question. I'm reading every single one and answering them in upcoming episodes. 

Transcript

[00:00:00] I am Leandra Nisbet, founder and owner of a six figure revenue generating award-winning business. As a business advisor and growth strategists, I've helped hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners navigate from the idea phase into creating fully fledged profitable businesses that allow them to support their lifestyles, goals and communities.

As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how tough it can be navigating the ever-changing business landscape while juggling all the hats and managing to still have personal time. Now, over a decade into my business, I continue on my mission to empower fellow small businesses with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to break free from being overwhelmed and overworked so they can reclaim their time and focus on what really matters most.

I created the Enlightened Entrepreneur. A podcast to provide [00:01:00] you with practical, approachable strategies you can start incorporating today so you can save time, reduce stress, and save money while growing the business you desire. If you're ready to launch, grow, or scale your business, you're in the right place.

Welcome to the Enlightened Entrepreneur Number.

Delegation isn't just about dumping tasks or responsibilities onto someone else, it's actually about creating capacity. Now, if you're anything like me or fellow small business owners, you probably know that you need to delegate. You've probably even tried it before. But chances are it didn't go smoothly.

And so what do we do? That means we immediately sweep back up all of those tasks and responsibilities and take them back onto ourselves because we've said it's just easier that way. It's just faster that way. But the truth is you can't scale [00:02:00] yourself and you will most likely burn out by trying to.

So today what I wanna talk about is a three step framework that you can use for effective delegation without losing control or feeling like you're sacrificing quality. So first I think it's important to start off by addressing why we feel like delegation is risky, and by realizing that this is a completely normal reaction and thought it feels risky because we're giving up control of something that most likely we are very skilled in.

We're an expert in or something that we've just done that way, it's, that's just the way it's always been done. And so for us, it's easy to do these things on autopilot. And in that regard, releasing that to someone else feels like it's going to take more time, more effort, more energy. And so yes, our natural inclination is to default into that.

It's just easier if let me just keep doing it and. The cost of [00:03:00] that is delayed or stalled growth. We only have so much time, energy, and capacity. It means that we can end up being the bottleneck to growth and change within our businesses. We might be missing out on valued insights and new perspectives from allowing someone else into these respective tasks and responsibilities.

And ultimately, it could also lead to us burning out because we are trying to wear too many hats and take on too many. Responsibilities, especially as our business continues to grow and go through different stages and phases. So I want you to think about the fact that bad delegation is what actually can create more work when you're delegating effectively and efficiently.

That's what's creating capacity and the difference between those two things isn't the act of delegation itself, it's the process that we use to delegate. So let's talk through a three-step [00:04:00] delegation framework. Step number one is really making sure that you are choosing the right task to delegate. And so think about this through the lens of a matrix, a decision matrix.

It's very common if you're familiar with the Eisenhower Matrix, to think about things that are important versus urgent. In this case, I want you to think about it from the standpoint of the amount of skill versus the stakes that are in play. For example, I want you to realize, so to get started, it's important to realize that not everything should be delegated.

Not everything needs to be delegated, but on the opposite side of that, not everything needs to stay within your control either. So as you're thinking about this matrix, thinking about where there's the mix of skill that is required and what is at stake for each respective [00:05:00] task that is on your plate or that you're evaluating for potential delegation.

So if something is, requires high skill level and is also high stakes, those are tasks that you should be keeping, at least for the time being. Because that means it's very impactful to your business and that it requires a specialized skillset or access to tools, resources, maybe data that not other members of your team have access to.

So for now, those are things that you'd wanna keep on your plate. Going to the next level of the matrix. This could be something that requires high skill, but it has low stakes. It doesn't require, it's not going to have heavy impact if maybe things don't go according to plan, at least right out of the gate.

So that's a great opportunity to, when you identify tasks that fall into this category of the matrix. So this is a great opportunity when you identify tasks that fall into this quadrant of the matrix to [00:06:00] think about how you can train someone else to be able to handle them. The third quadrant is something that is low skill required, but high stakes.

So very impactful to your business. So this is an opportunity to say, how can I create a process, a system around this first, and then look at delegating it. And then finally, tasks that fall into the fourth quadrant, which is low skill level required and low stakes, low impact to the business. Those are ones that you could and should be delegating immediately if they are actually essential to your operations.

If not, then I would encourage you to first think about could these things be. Eliminated. Are they really essential or impactful at all? No need to delegate something that's really not beneficial or having actual impact or return in your business. Those might be opportunities to see about clearing everyone's capacity and time from those [00:07:00] activities.

So really what you can do here is start with that low hanging fruit. I would encourage you to be thinking about what are the tasks and activities that you're doing on a regular basis, and start to prioritize them and label them into these respective quadrants. Because as you're identifying ones that fall into that low skill required, low stakes area, those are ones that are probably eating up a lot of your time, potentially bandwidth as well, especially when you could be putting that.

Energy into activities that have much greater impact in your business. So things like maybe scheduling your social media content, proofreading and reviewing content, following up on invoices, taking notes within meetings. Those are things that you could be looking at. Automating. Delegating or getting rid of if there is actually no impact.

For example, with social media, maybe you're currently posting across four or five different platforms, but when you look into it further, that there's really only one or two of [00:08:00] those platforms where you're actually getting engagement from your ideal client or customer. So perhaps you can whittle down and remove those other three and then look at delegating.

Managing those top two performing platforms to someone else on your team. And this I just wanna also preface as you go through this matrix to determine which tasks are the right ones to be delegating. Don't delegate high stakes tasks before you have a system in place for them that can really create other future problems and then can maybe.

Put us on that cycle of would've just been easier if I did it myself. And it reinforces that thought process when really it's the fact that we did not have the systems in place to support it, not the fact that delegating the task itself was incorrect. So now that you've gone through step one, which is determining which task or task are the right ones to delegate, step number two [00:09:00] is empowering the person that you are going to be delegating to.

So an example of poor delegation is really just saying, Hey, I want you to take this over. There's no context, there's no clarity, there's no expectations, there's no support. And those type of vague delegation. Skills is what can set in motion. Something that ends up making us regret, delegating in the first place, but really we didn't actually do our due diligence and help provide the context and the insights that are necessary to properly equip someone to take on the task at hand.

So first, you need to make sure that you are giving them the context. Let them know why this matters. Does it fit into a bigger picture within your business? So earlier I shared potential follow up on invoices, so you might share with someone. It's really important to make sure that we're following up timely on open invoices because [00:10:00] cashflow is essential for our business, being able to manage that effectively and efficiently.

And we really don't want to be pushy, but we do wanna make sure that we are being professional and providing that personalized touch and follow up on open invoices. Next, you wanna let people know what is the outcome that you're expecting, what will success look like? How will they know when it's done?

So you might say it's really important for any invoices that are more than seven days past due to get a friendly, personalized follow up, and that we work to collect payments within 14 days, at least 80% of the time. It's providing specific things that people can hold themselves accountable to or that you can hold people accountable to as well, because it's very clear there's no gray area around what's expected.

Next, you wanna provide a process, even if it is rough. So this is [00:11:00] also a part that we tend to skip over. And so this can be if you have a template, a framework, a standard operating procedure, a guide. A checklist that you can provide. So you might say, here's an email template that you can use to get started for your outreach.

And here's a tracking spreadsheet that we use. Or be sure to make a note inside QuickBooks that of the date when you reached out to follow up on this. And then you could also tell people, for example, when to loop you back into the process so that not everything is falling back on you, that you're not getting pinged at every step and stage of the process that people know.

So for example, if you get a response and you're unsure what to do next, either provide them some other templates or resources to use or say, loop me back in and I can take it from here. If things escalate, [00:12:00] et cetera. And then finally, the. Letting people know what authority and autonomy they have within the process.

This is also an area that's commonly missed. So what we end up doing is delegating tasks, but we're not delegating ownership of the tasks. And so we end up coming back in or being expected to check in, sign off. At every step. So to us it feels like we really didn't delegate anything because we're still involved hands on at every step of the process.

But if we're clear on the front end about the decision making authority and autonomy that the team member has, it can eliminate some of that as well. So you could say. You can send follow ups one and two without checking in if the invoices are still unpaid after that second follow up, loop me back in before you decide, before you move on to the next step.

Do you see how that lands completely differently? So basically, the more clarity that you can provide upfront, the less cleanup that you're [00:13:00] going to need to do later, or the less you're going to find yourself being pulled in and out of the process, which is helpful for both you and them. And then step number three is to provide support without micromanaging.

If you're like me you probably don't enjoy micromanaging. You really like being able to empower people fully to be able to take ownership of responsibilities. And within that, by being able to provide upfront a check-in plan, it will help eliminate some of that feeling. On your end that you need to jump in and micromanage and check in on things, but also on their end, because they'll know what checkpoints are coming up so that they can hold themselves accountable to keeping on track as well.

So you really want to avoid that hovering feeling, but you also don't wanna completely disappear and ghost your team member either, because then they can feel abandoned and lost in the process. And so [00:14:00] then. If things are not clear up front, it leaves them in a murky place where then they just need to either guess and check, or they get lost.

They get stuck, and then they don't do anything. So ideally what you wanna do is create structured check-ins from the beginning. So this could be something like, in the first week we're going to be more hands on. I'm going to check in with you daily just to answer any questions and we can address any.

Any potential questions, challenges proactively upfront in the second week of doing this, we will decrease the check-ins to every other day as you get more comfortable and confident with the process. Weeks three and four, we'll just start just doing our check-ins on a weekly basis where we can actually just move into to reviewing the results that you're getting and the responses and address any new questions that may be coming up as we get after those first two check-in emails.

And then going forward, we'll just check in monthly or as needed, and you [00:15:00] can let me know what you need from me. So ultimately, your job isn't to do the task for them, but you also want to be accessible and make sure that they have what they need to be successful as they complete the tasks. For example, in the weekly check-ins that you might be doing, it could be an opportunity to ask them what's going well, what feels a little bit confusing? Keep in mind that when you provide a workflow or standard operating procedure, sometimes we miss things because we can do them on autopilot. So it's the little details, the micro elements that might get lost initially, but having someone new work through it step by step, they will be able to address those things and come back and tell you.

Yeah, I got a little bit lost at this part. Am I supposed to do this and that, or did you want me to do this other thing? And those are things that you can refine together and provide the insights that they need so that they can take full ownership of it and make sure that clarity is in place.

So as a reminder, [00:16:00] the steps of the three part framework are to, number one, choose the right tasks for delegation and utilize the matrix. Number two is fully equip the individual that you are going to be delegating to so they have the resources. And support that they need. And number three is make sure that you are providing that support without micromanaging them and having that clarity around the check-ins and the next steps and the level of support that you'll be providing.

So for me, when it comes to delegation, there have been times when, yes, I was the one who was like, Hey, I want you to take this over, and I did not provide all of the right. Foundational elements, and it led to friction because I was expecting one thing and then something else was delivered, and so I, ugh, I could just, I should just do it myself.

It'll just be easier that way. But what I'm doing is reinforcing a bad habit for myself and not providing someone else these opportunity to grow their [00:17:00] skillsets, ability and impact within the team. So I remember in a situation where it was around our content management. Where I did step up and provide specific insights, and I actually created a template for delegating activities where I would provide the specific information around the task and the responsibilities, providing details around deadline, providing a standard operating procedure, an SOP a written guide and or a video walkthrough of me actually completing the tasks so that people could visually see.

How the process and the workflow went as well. Providing details around who owned this, is it something where I needed them to check in with me at a specific stage or part of the process, or were they fully going to be seeing it through? And then from there, providing what those check-ins or the next steps would be so that everyone was clear. And the feedback on that was a resounding [00:18:00] overwhelming thank you. Like it was incredibly helpful. People would comment on, oh, it's so helpful to see everything upfront.

Oh, okay, like this all makes a lot of sense. Thank you. And being able to move from there. There wasn't gray in it. And I remember when. I was no longer part of the bottleneck of the processes with our content development. I wasn't being looped in every moment to be able to sign off on a content idea or a new theme for content needing to review and proofread things.

And I remember oh, the content is still going out. It looks great. I love seeing it in my feed just anyone else would. Being able to. Not delay the process in just seeing how streamlined it was from there. And I didn't feel like I needed to micromanage the process because I knew that my team had it and I think it.

Really helped with empowering them as well because they were able to do what they do best without needing to loop me back in without feeling like Leandra's just gonna come in [00:19:00] and, proof it or edit it or tweak it anyway. They just do what they do and we're able to continue moving forward and it's, I remember just realizing like how much time that freed up on all ends because they weren't getting delayed in their processes and I wasn't stopping some of the other.

Work that I was doing and focused on to jump into their projects either. So those are the types of things that you can expect as you move towards successful delegation. Yes, there may be some roadblocks or bumps along the way, but as you move through this framework and really start to review and refine and co-create this with your team members and start to understand where are they getting stuck, where might you be missing pieces on that front end communication.

How is it helpful to have these communication checkpoints and check-ins with them? It will really become a smooth process, and it'll be easier as you move forward as well. So for today's action accelerator, I want you to, as you go through the course of your week. Make note of the tasks [00:20:00] that you're doing on a regular basis and put them into the matrix.

Start to see where do they fall within the skill level that's required and the stakes within your business. And choose one task that ends up falling into that low skill, low stakes area, and see about delegating that this week. Also think about what does that process look like for you for being able to start to do this delegation within.

That framework where you have the context and you're clearly articulating what the outcomes will look like, what the process will be is that a process that you need to document in some way, shape or form? And who is going to own it? What is the authority level and are you actually giving ownership to the other person?

Or is it something where you will still be involved in one way, shape, or form? And how are you articulating that so that there is still clarity on both ends? And then think about what are those next steps? What is the check-in process? How can you actually get that [00:21:00] documented and aligned on your calendar, in your planner, on your to-do list, et cetera.

And then I'm going to challenge you to resist the urge to take the task back, especially if you do not feel like it meets your definition of perfect. Instead, see how you can coach and support your team member through this to get it more aligned with what your ultimate goal is for the deliverable instead of taking it back onto your plate.

So really just making sure that by doing these things upfront, you can avoid some of those pitfalls of, expecting people to read your mind by documenting along with your delegation. That will really help with. With having that added clarity challenging yourself to realize that 80% sometimes may be good enough, and it's a great start to be able to build from and coach from.

So things don't need to be perfect and expecting perfection from the beginning will probably set you up for disappointment. [00:22:00] And then finally. Again, resisting that urge to take the task back at the first sign of any challenge or struggle that your team member may experience, because really that is going to undermine their confidence in the process and potentially in themselves, especially as you are initially adding responsibility to them, and then you immediately pull it back.

So being there to support them and guide them through it instead of expecting perfection. As soon as that you see that there's any sign of struggle that you just say, oh, nevermind. Instead of letting them learn and grow through the process. So as we wrap up today, we've covered a lot and I know that this was a bit more of a heartier episode, but there's certainly a lot that goes into this.

So I really wanted to do it justice and provide some more information here. So remember that this is a skill like any other that you can build, and it may not necessarily be a personality trait that you're built. With or that you remember that delegation is a skill that you [00:23:00] can build and refine just like any other.

So I would love for you to find me on. Instagram follow me at Leandro Creates, and I'd love to hear what is one task that you're going to delegate this week. I'd love to be able to cheer you on and support you as you move through that. And so be sure to join me for our next episode where we're going to be talking about leading a team that doesn't need you to execute.

And so that will be the next step as we're bringing all the information we've been discussing together. I can't wait to see you then. 

Thanks for joining me on the Enlightened Entrepreneur, where we discuss all things business so you can be empowered with the actionable tips, strategies, and mindset shifts you need to help you launch and grow your business with ease. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast to make sure you don't miss a thing and to learn more.

Be sure to connect with me on Instagram and on my website. Take a look at the show notes for any suggested resources and links to connect with me directly.