Too many entrepreneurs are overworked, overwhelmed, lonely, and struggle with delegation. Trusty Oak is on a mission to combat small business burnout and grow companies by connecting driven entrepreneurs with the best freelance virtual assistants in the U.S. Amber Gray is the founder and CEO of Trusty Oak, an award-winning Austin-based virtual assistant company that provides administrative and marketing services to busy entrepreneurs, authors, and creative teams.
In my line of work, I’m fortunate enough to talk with hundreds of entrepreneurs every year. These are my people: we speak the same language and have shared pain points and experiences as entrepreneurs.
These years of conversations have reinforced, over and over again, one of my central beliefs: the most crucial area of self-improvement any entrepreneur can pursue is delegation. Research even shows that CEOs who delegate well produce 33% more revenue and grow their companies 112% faster than their peers. If you want to grow your business, you must grow your team, and delegation can be the difference between sustainable growth and burnout.. I’m passionate about beating the epidemic of small business burnout by pairing entrepreneurs with virtual assistants so they can harness the power of delegation for growth.
That’s why I regularly speak to entrepreneurs and small business owners about delegation. Like any skill, delegation doesn’t come easy on the first try (or 10). It’s a habit you have to develop over time, and it’s something you have to be intentional about. But make no mistake: delegation should be on the list if you’re setting goals for your business right now. Developing your delegation skills could be the most impactful thing you’ll do to grow your business this year.
Why Delegation?
If you’re an entrepreneur in growth mode, you already know you’ll need to expand your team as your company grows. You know you can’t do everything. And, you probably know you’re still doing too much of the day-to-day operations of your business.
But good people are hard to find. And handing things off is complex and time-consuming. And nobody gets your company the way you do. Maybe you’ve been burned before trying to delegate–it went all wrong. And sometimes, it feels faster just to keep doing things yourself.
While these things probably feel very accurate right now, they’re also limiting beliefs that result from not knowing how to delegate effectively. They’re the beliefs that are keeping you harried, stuck, and overwhelmed. If you continue being the bottleneck in your business, you limit your growth by your own time, energy, and abilities. And who wants to limit their entrepreneurial growth?
Effective delegation is a skill you have to develop. And, once you’ve honed this skill, it will give you the gift of freedom and scalability.
How to Get Started With Delegation
If delegation is a skill, and practice makes perfect, then let’s talk about how to practice delegation effectively. When our team works with clients who are delegating to a virtual assistant for the first time, we often identify and coach on the same misconceptions and assumptions over and over again. Many clients haven’t given much thought to delegating and assume they’ll be able to jump right in without any issue. The reality is delegation takes effort, planning, and learning. Here’s how I recommend getting started with delegation for effective scalability.
Identify What to Delegate
First, you need a plan. You need to know what to delegate before you can hand it off. We work with our clients in their onboarding to identify the right tasks to offload to a virtual assistant, and you can do some of the same work on your own.
As you go through your workday, start identifying repeatable tasks you do regularly. You can even try tracking your time for a week to see how your days disappear and identify tasks to delegate. You can also use a delegation matrix to hone in on what should stay on your plate and what you should hand off.
This crucial step is one you can’t skip. It’s easy to think you know right away what to delegate. But, paying close attention to how you spend your time could surface higher-priority tasks to delegate. You want to get the most out of expanding your team and delegating. So, you don’t want to be delegating inbox management when social media is the thing taking up all of your energy and time right now, for instance.
Don’t Rush the Hiring Process
Once you’ve decided what to delegate, you may start getting the itchy feeling of needing it off your plate yesterday. But this next part is the one you can’t rush: the interview and hiring process.
Take time crafting a job description that aligns with your needs and accurately reflects your team’s working environment. Whether you’re hiring a virtual assistant or an employee, you want to think through your hiring process beforehand and develop it into something that thoroughly vets candidates.
At Trusty Oak, we hire for values alignment first, and then skillset. Here are a few tips for crafting your hiring process:
- Request a video response from applicants before screening them. If you request a short video from the applicant explaining why they’d like to work with you, you’ll learn volumes about the person before you even start the screening and interviewing process. You’ll learn if they’ll read through and follow your directions if they are tech-savvy, and/or if they’re confident in their communication.
- Develop interview questions using your core values. You want to see whether a candidate resonates with and understands your core values before moving them further along in the process.
- Interview more than once. Conduct a short screening interview first to ensure the individual aligns with the role you’re offering and could be a long-term fit with your company. Then conduct a longer interview where you dig into their core values alignment and their job history. Again, don’t rush the process!
Start Small and Build Trust
When you’ve finally identified what to delegate and who to delegate it to, you should start the delegation process with the goal of building trust. Start small with low-stakes tasks and work your way up, focusing on developing rapport with your new assistant.
You’ll need patience during the onboarding process with a new assistant. We believe that when trust is high, speed increases, and costs decrease. When trust is low, it’s very difficult—sometimes even impossible—to get work done effectively.
Build trust through:
- Giving honest and authentic feedback, kindly and respectfully
- Having patience and working ahead of schedule to avoid a sense of urgency
- Saying thank you and being appreciative when a job is done well
- Sharing your vision and communicating regularly with your assistant
How Can Leaders Define Clear Objectives and Expectations for Successful Delegation?
When you’re ready to delegate, setting clear objectives and expectations is crucial for success. Here are some tips to help you communicate those goals effectively to your team:
- Be Specific About the End Goal
Don’t assume your team knows exactly what you’re envisioning. Clearly state the desired outcome, so there’s no confusion. Whether it’s a project deadline or a quality standard, be as detailed as possible about what success looks like. - Break Down Tasks into Manageable Steps
If the task feels overwhelming, break it into smaller steps. This not only makes it easier to delegate but also helps your team stay focused. Give them the tools and instructions needed to tackle one step at a time. - Set Realistic Deadlines
Deadlines are crucial, but they need to be achievable. Give your team enough time to complete the task without rushing, while ensuring the timeline still meets your business goals. Clear, reasonable deadlines lead to better results. - Communicate Expectations on Accountability
Make it clear who is responsible for what. Outline how often you’d like updates and which milestones need to be met. Accountability ensures everyone stays on track and avoids bottlenecks. - Provide Context and Vision
Don’t just delegate the task—explain why it’s important. When your team understands how their work fits into the bigger picture, they’re more likely to stay motivated and aligned with your business goals. - Encourage Questions and Open Communication
Make sure your team feels comfortable asking questions. Open communication helps prevent misunderstandings and allows them to clarify any doubts before moving forward.
Understanding the Importance of Evaluating and Adjusting the Delegation Process
Delegation isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of skill. It’s an ongoing process that requires evaluation and adjustments along the way. As you begin delegating more tasks, it’s important to regularly check in on how things are going.
Are the right tasks being delegated?
Is your team meeting expectations, or are there areas where more clarity is needed?
By evaluating the process, you can catch issues early and make tweaks to improve efficiency. Adjusting your approach based on feedback helps build trust with your team and ensures that delegation continues to drive growth instead of creating new challenges. Remember, successful delegation evolves as your business grows—don’t be afraid to adapt along the way.
Why is it Important to Delegate Authority and Not Just Tasks?
Delegating tasks is a good start, but if you stop there, your team may feel limited in their ability to make decisions. When you delegate authority alongside tasks, you’re empowering your team to take ownership of the work. This builds trust and encourages them to think critically and problem-solve without waiting for your approval on every step. It also frees you up to focus on higher-level responsibilities, knowing your team has the autonomy to make decisions and move projects forward. In the long run, delegating authority helps your team grow, boosts their confidence, and creates a more efficient, self-sufficient business.
What Resources and Support Should Be Provided to Team Members for Successful Task Completion?
Delegating a task is only the first step. To ensure your team members succeed, it’s crucial to provide them with the right resources and support. Without the necessary tools or guidance, even the best intentions can fall short. By setting your team up for success, you help them work confidently and efficiently. Here are a few key resources and types of support to consider when delegating:
- Clear Instructions
Provide detailed guidelines for the task, so your team knows exactly what’s expected. - Access to Tools and Technology
Make sure your team has access to the software, tools, or systems they need to complete their work without delays. - Training and Development
Offer any relevant training or tutorials that might help them better understand the task or improve their skills. - Regular Check-Ins
Schedule brief touchpoints to answer questions, offer feedback, and keep the task on track. - Defined Channels for Communication
Ensure your team knows how and when to reach you if they run into roadblocks or need clarification.
By providing these resources and support, you not only help your team complete tasks more effectively but also build their confidence and independence, making future delegation smoother.
While delegation isn’t the easiest skill to master, it will have a direct impact on your ability to grow your business. Commit to developing your delegation skills now.
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