From nurturing client relationships to managing finances and recruiting new talent, business owners juggle competing priorities. As our businesses face busy periods and our to-do lists multiply, we often tell ourselves it’s easier to handle everything on our own, but the truth is we cannot do it all alone. To avoid burnout and set your business up for success, leaders must learn to delegate.
The Dangers of Doing it All
Burnout is a common side effect of taking on too much. It can have significant impacts on the quality of your work, mental health and your ability to successfully lead your organization. While it comes in many forms, burnout may materialize in the manner of low patience, an inability to focus, or a constant, haunting feeling that there is not enough time in a day. When work quality slips due to burnout, employees take notice. Stakeholders take notice too, affecting their satisfaction with your team’s performance and potentially damaging your company’s reputation.
Additionally, when you’re overworked, it can be easy to slip into a reactive leadership style, where issues are addressed as they come in, rather than in a more proactive manner. This can lead to further burnout that not only negatively impacts leaders but disrupts their teams’ morale and trust in your leadership. Reactive leadership results in a chaotic workplace where employees' productivity is hindered by a constant need to resolve last-minute demands.
The Power of Delegation
Delegating work is a simple way to help ensure quality, improve morale and maintain your organization’s credibility. Distributing work among employees will not only help to shorten your to-do list, it will offer your team a sense of empowerment with increased responsibilities, which encourages internal growth and retention.
While delegation is a beneficial tool for business leaders, it’s not always easy to release control. Here are some tips for learning to delegate:
• Know when to say “no”. The quickest way to encounter burnout is by taking on too many tasks at once. Although it’s tempting to say “yes” to everything, not all initiatives truly require your attention. It’s important to regularly evaluate the projects that need your direct oversight, versus those that can be handled by a team member.
• Trust your team. You hired them for a reason. Hand off lower-priority tasks with detailed instructions and allow your employees to execute. This empowers them to own the project knowing that you have confidence in their skills. Plus, they may bring a new perspective to the project that could enhance output.
• Resist the urge to get involved. You’ve delegated the task. Now, you have to set boundaries. Letting go can be difficult, but it’s a necessary step to avoid burn out. When you feel tempted to step in, consider your employee’s perspective and desire to grow professionally. Allow them the opportunity to impress you, and if they make a mistake, view it as an opportunity to help them learn.
The Benefits of Disconnecting
While delegating can help reduce stress, it is important to periodically take time to get away from work entirely. Avoid checking emails. Don’t take that “quick” call. Instead, focus on spending time doing the things you enjoy. The best leaders manage their time wisely, in and outside of the workplace. That could mean taking a week-long vacation or simply spending a few days offline. That time away from work allows you to reset and be a better leader when you come back.
The art of delegation is not about doing less, it’s about prioritizing what is most important so that your business can thrive. Leaders who learn to delegate will not only reap personal benefits, they will also see improved company morale, higher quality of work and reduced chaos.