When to Let Go and Delegate

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As an entrepreneur, you typically want to do it all yourself, but there comes a time when you need to turn over some responsibilities to someone else. In fact, that should be your goal if you want your company to grow.

But letting go and delegating isn’t the easiest thing for a hard-charging entrepreneur to do, so it’s best to begin with simple, time-consuming tasks that you don’t need to be spending your time on, according to Rob Sabo at Small Business Computing.

Tasks such as answering customer emails or processing online orders might be good ones to delegate (although let’s not forget that Steve Jobs was famous for handling occasional customer service requests).

Whatever you choose to delegate, do it with the same attention to detail that you do everything else. Delegate to those employees who have proven to be honest and reliable, and clearly define the purpose, significance and timeliness of the task or project. Let them know you believe in them – but establish a method to measure success.

The end result could be a more empowered organization – and more time for you to focus on growing your business.

Adapted from How to Delegate Without Losing Your Mind or Your Business at Small Business Computing.