Step 6:
Check-in regularly — especially early on in the delegation process. Break the task into smaller parts and set deadlines or ask for weekly progress reports.
Don’t expect employees to complete the task the same way you would. “The object is success, not perfection,” Boggs says. “Focus on the outcomes and have a sense of objectivity,” Steven agrees. Instead of one solution for a specific scenario, this teaches the employee how to interpret new situations. “It helps if you have benchmarks for success, such as completing a job on time and on budget,” Steven adds.
The regularly scheduled meetings are also less stressful for the employee than random check-ins, Downing points out, and allow the company owner to get involved if there are issues.
Consider yourself a coach. “Offer encouragement rather than criticism,” Steven says. Celebrate and compliment employees’ progress. “The longer they stay with you and the better you train them,” Downing says, “the more value they bring to your company.” However, owners shouldn’t give up complete control; it should be a “trust but verify” process.
Step 7:
Be patient. Successful delegating isn’t instant. It’s a process, and it takes time to develop the team and skills. Or, as Downing puts it, “It takes time to make time.”
She says that high D’s (D refers to Dominance) in the DISC personality assessment tool have challenges with task delegation because they work at a fast pace, make decisions quickly, and want bottom-line results. High D’s should resist the urge to take a task back from an employee.
If it’s not going well, review the process again and reiterate the reasons why you assigned them the task. “Show your enthusiasm and reestablish their responsibility,” Downing recommends. If you do try to retake control, empower your employees to say to you, “You told me this was my decision,” Steven says.
Make Sure the Costs Are Covered
When a company owner first begins to delegate tasks, it takes time to coach employees until they reach a point where both parties feel that the employees can make decisions on their own.
To cover your supervision time and the slippage caused by employees who are in the training process, consultant Mike Gorman suggests that you consider raising your prices by 20% or more. One owner who does everything is more efficient, but without delegation, you can’t grow your company, so this shift is a necessary part of growth.
Another financial consideration is to offer employees an incentive or bonus for successfully completing tasks. Gorman says that providing the lead carpenter with the budget for the job and allowing him to order materials and schedule subcontractors is “delegating at the highest level. Oftentimes they can figure out how to do it better and cheaper than the person who sold the job.” Give the field team a percentage of the money they save on the project as a bonus.
One of Gorman’s remodeler clients says that it also creates a more cohesive team, with the carpenter speaking up if he or she feels that the job is not correctly priced.