As a solopreneur or small business owner, delegation can be a big challenge. Whether it’s an employee, an independent contractor or a virtual assistant you have to turn over the reins enough for trust, comfort, and clear authority and that will vary for each task you delegate. Take some of the pain and worry out of delegation so you can shift to more important work using clearly defined levels of authority.
Clearly communicate the delegation limits and how much authority you are giving them. Here’s a shorthand for communicating the limits of authority:
Level 1 – Decide and take action — just do it – no need to report back.
Level 2 – Decide and take action, but let me know what you did.
Level 3 – Decide, let me know your decision then take action unless I say not to.
Level 4 – Decide, let me know the decision, wait for my go-ahead before proceeding
Level 5 – Decide, but tell me the alternatives with the pro’s and con’s of each.
Level 6 – Look into this issue and give me the facts. I will decide.
Once your helpers clearly understand the level of authority on any give task, you they will know exactly what to do and how to interact with you.
Delegating well is a key to empowering your staff. Delegating well leverages your time. It frees up your time to focus on those activities that are most deserve your personal attention.