Easily Transition from DIY to Delegate in 4 Simple Steps
In business, especially when you’re just starting out (unless you have a huge budget, which most of us don’t), you’re the queen of DIY. You learn all these new skills, and they’re fun, and you’ve got your business started OK. And then suddenly, things get sort of…overwhelming. There’s things you can’t move off of your to-do list. Some tasks you simply avoid because the idea of sitting and doing them is unpleasant at best, loathsome in reality.
Deadlines become more wishy-washy to yourself, and you start to move them out. It’s OK, you’ll get it done…next week. Meanwhile, your hands are full with the client work you’ve taken on - which is a good thing, but what about your business?
Sometimes it’s important to stop and take a look at the big picture. Reality check - you’re not going to progress further in DIY mode. But, but, but… You know, deep down in your heart. It’s time to start delegating.
It’s tough to cross this bridge. It really is! It’s not something you can just do. There’s mindset work you need to do, ideas you have to translate, and a vision to cast. But you’ve already done that. Because you ARE the visionary. You designed this from the beginning. And congratulations, you’re becoming successful!
So. Are you ready for this? Let’s cross this Grand Canyon sized obstacle that you have been trying to find a way around.
Step 1 - Let go of the control.
Yep. That’s the worst. I mean, what if something goes wrong? What if it doesn’t get done on time? What if it’s not exactly how you wanted it done? What then?
Reality: will that matter? Are you, truthfully now, getting things done on your own, exactly how you envisioned, on time? See, it’s going to be OK. But if you need to journal on this a bit, it’s OK. Take your time, just not too much. If you want to fly over the canyon confidently, you’re going to have to face the full reality. Sometimes that’s an ugly and uncomfortable truth. Step out of the comfort zone you’re in (which is a lie, because you’re not comfortable where you are right now trying to do everything anyway). You can do this.
Step 2 - Hire someone you trust.
You don’t have to hire the first person you see. Take your time on this. You want someone who will do the work you need, quickly, efficiently, and correctly. There are a lot of websites and other blogs giving instructions on how to interview and hire employees, so I won’t go into that here. But trust your gut-feeling when you are interviewing people. Do not doubt your intuition on whether or not someone is the right fit. Trust your inner-knowing.
Step 3 - Clearly Communicate.
This is the biggest key in working relationships. Your job as the business owner, is to take the tasks from your list that you’re not doing any longer and communicate them to the hired hands. I want to let you in on a secret here - the more thorough you are in your instructions, and the better you WRITE them down (and save them electronically), the better your tasks will get done. Why did I stress write them down there? Because this is the beginnings of your procedures manual that you should have been building from the beginning of your business, but were too busy to do.
Write out all of the tasks, specific steps (knowing that your expert help may have a better way and you are empowering them to make that procedure update as needed), and any deadlines for completing the work. As you work through the hand-off process, you’ll realize you won’t have to do this again. Because next time, it’s all going to be written out and easily referenced.
Step 4 - Breathe a big sigh of relief.
You just let go of a huge source of stress. You came to terms with not being in 100% control all of the time. And you did something about it. You earned some hours back in your life every day, because you’re not having to do everything all by yourself.
Are you ready to get some relief in your schedule? Let’s chat. We can make an action plan for you, and make it happen. You don’t have to do this alone.