“It’ll just be easier if I do it myself.”
I’ll be the first to admit that even after building a team of talented people within my business, I’ve caught myself thinking this.
Delegation is supposed to make life easier, right?
But somehow, what’s meant to lighten your load can feel like just another job to manage.
What most business owners (and moms who are juggling multiple humans and responsibilities) is that delegation isn’t just saying, “Here, you do this and you handle this,” to check tasks off a to-do list.
Because, if you’re anything like me, when it feels like it's not working the way that I want it to, I will convince myself that I just need to do it, even though I have these brilliant people on my team who have expertise in areas that I do not.
And all of those “tasks” we handed off now fall back into our lap and we’re right back where we started.
The difference between simply handing off tasks and true delegation lies in trust, clarity, and intentionally setting your team up for success.
With the right approach, delegation creates freedom for yourself and confidence for your team.
Why Delegation Feels So Hard
One of the biggest struggles I see with clients (and have experienced myself) is the fear of losing control.
We just love our businesses and know so much about it and our products and our services that we convince ourselves that we need to do it all. Which leads us to the questioning, “What are the results going to be if I fully delegate this?”
This fear stems from two things:
Perfectionism and Trust: You want everything to be done exactly the way you envision, but that lack of trust in your team’s abilities creates a barrier.
Lack of Processes: Without clear processes, delegating feels chaotic. You may think, “It’s faster to just do it myself,” but this short-term fix leads to long-term burnout.
If you don’t trust your team, you’ll always feel stuck. And if your team doesn’t feel trusted, they’ll hold back from fully owning their roles.
How to Delegate With Trust and Confidence in Your Team
The first step to effective delegation is recognizing that your business is like a series of gears.
Think of a Swiss watch…
The gears in the clock have to be fitted correctly, otherwise, it creates a clog and doesn't work.
So what I do with my business and my clients’ businesses is look at all these different pieces and how they fit together.
Even when I'm assessing the business, I'm also looking at:
The schedule
The team structure
The services and offerings
The marketing
The efficiency and the sustainability
When it comes to your team, this is a really important gear in your business because it dictates your quality of life. Your ability to have peace of mind is clearly connected to your trust in your team.
So, how do you delegate with trust to keep the gears turning?
1. Get Clear on Roles and Responsibilities
Your team needs to know exactly what they’re responsible for and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
Because, your team and the results that you want to see is a shared responsibility.
I have clients that think their team is already overwhelmed or too busy, so they don't want to give them more and should just take it on themselves. But, that creates this team confusion..”Am I helping you? Am I leading this? Are we working on this together? Are you doing it? Am I doing it? What am I doing?”
As I shared in the previous episode of this series, part of delegation is being clear on what the goals are, what the KPIs are, what the success metrics are, and clearly being able to communicate those to your team.
Action Step: Take a moment to define each team member’s role, responsibilities, and success metrics. Then communicate those clearly.
2. Have A System for Delegating
When delegation goes wrong, frustration builds quickly.
This was my biggest lesson a few years ago. As I would hire people, I was throwing things at them.
But my channels of delegation were disorganized. I’d toss ideas into Slack with no clear deadlines or priorities, and I wasn’t using project management tools to streamline communication.
Worse, when I did delegate, I often failed to provide the full context or clear instructions.
Before you delegate, you need to create a system that feels good to you and your team. Ask yourself:
Am I providing enough information and clarity?
Do I have systems in place to streamline communication?
Am I setting my team up to succeed, or just passing off tasks?
Yes, creating processes and setting expectations takes time upfront, but it’s worth it.
Action Step: Start creating systems for delegation. Choose one task or process you frequently handle and document it step-by-step. This will serve as the foundation for a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) your team can reference in the future.
When you invest time in creating systems, you not only lighten your load but also set your team up for long-term success.
3. Review and Offer Feedback
One of the biggest things that I see is people will implement these processes for things, and then rather than offer feedback, they're just fixing it themselves.
This doesn’t give your team an opportunity to learn or refine their skills.
Regular check-ins are key—ensure you’re using project management tools to stay on top of tasks and provide feedback on areas for improvement.
In our team, we have an open communication policy where I encourage everyone to bring forward ideas, concerns, or anything they feel could be improved.
It’s crucial to keep an eye on where team members excel and where they might be struggling.
Remember, roles can always be tweaked. For example, you might have a team member who’s excelling in one area but falling behind in another. Identifying the root of the issue can avoid having to hire again. Sometimes, it’s just about aligning their role with their unique strengths and skills.
Action Step: How can you provide clear, constructive feedback to your team? Be specific about what’s working well and where improvement is needed.
Then, open the door for a conversation about how to better communicate expectations and improve results. Whether it’s setting clearer goals, adjusting responsibilities, or offering additional support, fostering a culture of transparency and growth will set your team up for success.
4. Let Go of Control
Trust is the foundation of effective delegation, and it’s important to begin by handing off tasks that may feel a bit uncomfortable or even scary.
Even if it's making us hot and heavy and shaking a little bit in our boots, giving away these smaller responsibilities helps build trust with your team. It shows them that you have confidence in their abilities and are willing to let go of control.
Start with tasks that feel manageable, but still challenge you to step outside your comfort zone. This gradual approach will allow both you and your team to grow in trust and capability over time.
Action Step: Reframe delegation as an opportunity to lead more effectively, not a loss of control. Remember, you hired your team for a reason…let them support YOU!
Ready to Lead Your Team with Confidence?
Your life will change when you delegate better.
Use these steps to build the clarity, confidence, and trust you need to delegate and lead well.
If you need extra support, the Team Management Bundle gives you the exact templates I use for weekly meetings, performance reviews, quarterly planning, and more. Plus, it walks you through with an exclusive private podcast episode for each to help you to lead your team effectively.
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