How to delegate

Small business owners can struggle at delegating. Their businesses are their babies.  Used to being in charge, first point of contact, across every detail, it can be hard to let go and trust someone else to handle their baby with the same care. 

At Upsource, we get it. Not only do we specialise in working with SMEs, taking care of other people’s business babies, we are all business owners too. We are part of your team, equally invested in your wins, as thrilled as you are with every new client signed or every sale made.

And we understand how challenging it can be to welcome a new team member and hand over tasks and projects. So here are 6 questions to ask yourself when it comes to delegating to your new Virtual Assistant.

Are you the best person for the job?

Yes, you’re more than capable, but are you the most suitable/qualified/experienced person for the task? Would delegating to someone with expertise in that area save you time and heartache? Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to or should.

What don’t you want to do? What aren’t you good at? What’s been idling away at the bottom of your to-do list for too long? Delegate it.

Have you got the right team?

As painful as delegation can be for a leader or business owner, delegating to the wrong person can make it twice as painful! This is where working with a Virtual Assistant collective like Upsource can really help – your VA will be matched perfectly to you and the skills that you’re looking for. You’ll have an expert in their field at your fingertips. 

What are your expectations?

When you’re delegating it’s really important to be specific. Who owns the project, what are the deadlines and milestones to work to, what does success look like. Make sure that your expectations are clearly communicated so you and your team know where they stand throughout.

When are you checking in?

It’s important to have the right amount of check gates in place with newly delegated tasks and projects to make sure things are running smoothly and along the right track. If it’s a bigger project check in more at the beginning and towards the end when a guiding hand can be more valuable. If it’s a smaller task, e.g. client outreach emails, make sure you check the emails before they are sent. 

Are you micromanaging?

You’ve laid out the scope of the project, or task. The milestones are in the diary to check on progress. But still you can’t help but send an email to see how they’re getting along. You’re checking documents before they’re sent for review. You, I’m afraid to say, are micromanaging.

Trust your team and their expertise to get the job done, and leave them space to use their initiative and proactivity and you’ll end up with much better results.

Have you said thank you?

Hopefully this goes without saying, but a simple “thank you” goes a long way! You know how important every small success is for you in your business, so make sure your VA feels respected, valued and most importantly part of your business. 

Want to make sure you’ve got the right team around you to make sure delegation runs super smoothly? Chat with Caroline and get an expert VA uniquely matched to your business.