Our Top 5 Signs That It’s Time To Start Delegating
It’s hard to believe that it’s already November already! The season of the holidays is here again. Where did the year 2017 go?
An acquaintance of mine stated, “the days go so slow, but the years go so fast” It’s absolutely true. When we reflect on the start of the year, we set out at goals we had set for ourselves. We had high hopes of what 2017 might bring. We all agreed that in 2017, we would attain that elusive balance between work and life. I do not know about you. However, I’m still looking for it!
It’s okay if you weren’t able to meet all your goals. What’s great is that you worked hard and persevered toward your goals. Take pride in every step!
As we approach another year of goal-setting, It’s crucial to take a look back and determine reasons why we didn’t reach the goals we’d set. It could be that the reason could be that the plan was too lofty. There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams; however, there is some merit in realistic goals that will inspire you to reach and exceed the goals you set.
One of the most frequent themes I get in the minds of business owners most often is “time”. There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything, so the most obvious solution is that it’s time to begin delegating.
Below are the top five indicators that it’s time to delegate:
The obvious choice is time.
I like getting up early to check my daily emails before the rest of the world is online. I’m known for my “delayed send” feature, so I don’t have to bother people at a too early time of the day. However, at the time when the day is over, I’ll need to turn off the feature and concentrate only on “me” time. Everyone is in need of it. If you’re experiencing that your weekend and evenings are consumed by email from work, or you’re always making plans for events and tasks to fit in regular jobs, then it’s the time for delegating. We had a customer recently who asked us to take care of her email every morning—leaving with emails that demanded her time, while the low-hanging fruit with pre-planned responses was dealt with by us. The client loved the satisfaction of starting the day with a less cluttered inbox! It’s really as easy.
Chances missed.
The act of networking (online and in-person) is crucial for entrepreneurs. It accomplishes three distinct goals: developing your network of potential clients and hearing what other entrepreneurs do (emerging trends), and putting out and improving the details of your “story”. But, my bet is that you are trying to organize these events due to you were either too busy or because you didn’t know about these opportunities. We discussed time in the previous paragraph; however, what if someone was who was keeping an eye out for networking opportunities that are great (and more importantly, opportunities you can be a speaker about!). It’s true that delegation can be as easy as this.
Do you miss opportunities to follow up?
Everyone knows that following up is crucial, and we should take the chance to follow up after a networking event to use as an illustration. You attend this fantastic event and get to meet an intriguing group of individuals, some of whom are potential clients, and some are excellent referrals. You leave the event energized by the possibilities in the future. What next? Follow-up is vital. Absolutely email your prospects, and then further introduce yourself, or perhaps arrange a phone call; Also, make sure you have all new contacts you’ve made on LinkedIn to ensure that they’ll be able to get to read your blog each when you publish. What about the ones who might be referrals? You’ll contact them once, then add them to LinkedIn. Then what do you do? It’s essential to keep an eye on your calendar to see when you’ll be close to their office. You might invite them to coffee. You want to remain in their mind. What would it be like to have someone remind you of opportunities that might arise, and who can also contact you to arrange the meeting (what an idea! delegate!)
Technology is causing you to go into the middle of.
You’ve heard it time and again: “do what you do best, delegate the rest”. You probably purchased software you’re not making full use of as you’re studying it. Transfer this responsibility to someone who’s already completed the training and is prepared to maximize the value of your investment.
You’re feeling lonely at your work.
I have heard a lot about this recently, and many entrepreneurs feel isolated sometimes, and it’s complicated. If you worked for another person, you had a person to count on and people who helped you create and sustain a business. Now it’s all on you. If you’re struggling to go on a weekend getaway and there’s always something to do. Delegation doesn’t only mean taking tiny tasks off your hands. It can also provide an opportunity to have a partner—someone who is looking out for yourself while you’re looking out for the rest of the team.
Delegation may seem like an enormous step since it is believed that you’re delegating more of your company than you actually need to. Consider for a moment the 5 points mentioned above. What could your day be like if your email messages were sanitized and follow-up communications were regular? What if you were spending more of your time daily in business growth than maintenance?
