EIA: The magic letters that will change your business forever

Let's dive into the world of delegation and how it can help you work less while still running a great business. This is a skill that every business owner needs to learn, and let’s look at some simple systems that will help you learn this important skill.

You just started your business. At first, you might think you need to do everything yourself – sell new clients, keep track of your finances, hire people, service your customers, and make sure the work is done properly. But that would be very tiring. You'd be running around all day and night and probably end up exhausted and cranky. That's not fun for anyone!

This is where delegation comes in. Delegation is like being a smart business owner who knows how to use their team members. Instead of doing everything yourself, you learn to trust others to help. You give them jobs to do, and you teach them how to do those jobs well. This way, everyone works together to keep the business running smoothly, and you don't have to do it all by yourself.

Why is delegation so important?

When you learn to delegate, something important happens. You stop being just someone who started a business (that's what we call an entrepreneur) and become a real business owner. What's the difference? An entrepreneur often does everything themselves, but a business owner sets up systems so the business can run even when they're not there.

Think about it like this: If you had to leave your business for a day, would it still run smoothly, or would it crash into an iceberg? If you're doing everything yourself, that ship is probably headed for trouble. But if you've taught your team members how to do their jobs well, the business ship will keep sailing along just fine.

Delegation can be tricky at first

Now, I know what you might be thinking. "But I like doing everything myself!" or "No one can do the job as well as I can!" These are totally normal thoughts. Sharing your work isn't always easy. You might worry that someone will mess up, or you might find it hard to let go of control.

Here's a secret: No one is perfect at delegation right away. It's like learning to ride a bike. At first, you might wobble and fall a few times. But with practice, you get better and better until you're zooming along without even thinking about it.

How to delegate like a pro

So, how do you get good at delegation? It's all about being clear about what you want done.

Here are three important steps to remember:

1. Expectation: This is where you tell people exactly what you want them to do. Imagine you're asking someone to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You wouldn't just say, "Make a sandwich," and walk away. You'd tell them what kind of bread to use, how much peanut butter and jelly to spread, and maybe even how to cut it. The same goes for any job in your business. Be specific!

2. Inspection: This doesn't mean you stand over someone's shoulder and watch their every move. Instead, it's about checking in regularly to see how things are going. Maybe you look at their work halfway through and give some tips. Or maybe you ask how it's going and if they need any help. Or, my favorite, have a daily, short check-in to see if there are any problems.

3. Acceptance: When the job is done, take a good look at it. Did they do what you asked? If so, great! Tell them what they did well. If not, explain how they can do better next time. Remember, everyone is learning, so be kind in your feedback.

We call these three steps "EIA" for short. It's a handy way to remember how to delegate well.

What if delegation doesn't work?

Sometimes, things don't go perfectly the first time. Maybe someone misunderstands what you want, or they make a mistake. That's okay! It happens to everyone. If something goes wrong, don't get upset. Instead, think of it like a detective solving a mystery. Go back and look at what happened. Where did things go off track?

Maybe someone needs more training. Or the job was too big and needs to be broken into smaller parts. Keep trying, and things will get better. Remember, even the best ship captains had to learn how to sail!

Delegation is hard, and it's ridiculously important

Learning to delegate might be one of the hardest things you'll do as a business owner. It means trusting other people to do jobs you used to do yourself. That can feel scary at first. But here's the thing: it's a required skill if you want your business to grow.

When you delegate well, you have more time to focus on the big picture of your business. Instead of worrying about making peanut butter sandwiches all day, you can think about new sandwich recipes, or how to sell more sandwiches, or maybe even opening a new sandwich shop!

Other good things about delegation

Delegation isn't just about saving time (although that's a big plus). It also helps your team learn new skills. When you give people new jobs to do, they get better at their work. It's like exercise for their brain! This makes your whole business stronger.

When people get to try new things, they often feel happier and more excited about their jobs. They might even develop cool new ideas that can help your business! Maybe someone you trusted to make sandwiches invents a new type of best-selling sandwich. That wouldn't have happened if you still made all the sandwiches yourself!

Things to watch out for

Sometimes, people make mistakes when they're learning to delegate. One big mistake is not explaining things well enough. Remember the peanut butter sandwich example? If you say "Make a sandwich" without details, you might end up with a ham and cheese sandwich instead! Make sure you tell people why a job is important and how it fits into the bigger picture of your business.

Another mistake is giving a job to the wrong person. If someone is great at talking to customers, they shouldn't be the one doing the accounting. Make sure you know what each person on your team is good at before you give them a new job.

Getting over your fears

Letting other people do important jobs in your business can be scary. What if they mess up? What if they don't do it the way you would? These are normal worries to have. But remember, trusting your team is a big step towards making your business better.

Start small - give people little jobs at first, then work up to bigger ones. Maybe you start by letting someone answer the phone, then move up to letting them handle customer complaints. This helps you feel more confident about delegating, and it helps your team feel more confident, too!

Tools that can help

There are lots of great computer programs that can help with delegation. Things like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com can help you track who's doing what. It's like having a big to-do list that everyone can see and update. My favorite these days is Click Up.

Other tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom can help you talk to your team, even if they're far away. It's like having a phone that can reach anyone in your company.

Talking about how things are going

It's important to talk to your team about how delegation is working. Ask them what they think about the jobs you're giving them. Do they feel like they have enough information? Do they need more help? This can help you find ways to make things even better.

Creating a team that's good at delegation

To be really good at delegation, you need to create a team that's ready for it. Make sure your team feels trusted and encouraged to take on new jobs. Celebrate when people do well, learn from mistakes, and use every new job as a chance to get better at delegation.

Think of your business like a garden. You're the gardener, and your team members are the plants. Your job is to give them the right amount of water and sunlight (that's training and support) so they can grow big and strong.

Wrapping it up

If you want to work less and still have a great business, you must learn to be great at delegation. It might be hard at first, but it gets easier with practice. Start small, learn from what happens, and slowly improve.

Before you know it, you'll be working fewer hours. And here's something cool - your business might even make more money as you work less! It sounds crazy, but it's true. When you're not trying to do everything yourself, you have more time to think about big ideas to help your business grow.

Learning to delegate is important if you want to work less and still have a successful business. It's like having a superpower that lets you be in many places at once. You're not doing all the work yourself, but you're making sure all the work gets done.

Remember, nobody becomes a delegation expert overnight. It takes time and practice. But every time you successfully delegate a task, you're one step closer to being a real business owner. So why not start today? Pick one small task you usually do yourself, and try delegating it to someone on your team. You might be surprised at how well it goes!

And always remember - you're not giving away your power when you delegate. You're actually becoming more powerful because you're building a team that can do amazing things together. That's what being a great business owner is all about!

It's your turn

Why don't you tell me what you think about becoming a delegating ninja in the comments below? And while you're at it, click on the button and get our free Periodic Table of Business Elements. You'll see lots of cool strategies you can use as you create more free time and start working on your business...where your real value lies.