The Importance of Delegation for Business Growth

Running a business let alone a game and hobby store involves juggling tons of tasks, from inventory management and customer service to marketing and event planning. As a business owner or manager, your to-do list can seem never-ending. One of the most effective strategies for managing this workload and driving growth is delegation. By delegating tasks, you can focus on high-priority activities, empower your team, and create a more efficient operation. We are going to explore why delegation is important for business growth and personal growth for business owners and managers.

Ability to Work on the Business Instead of in the Business

Delegation is the process of entrusting tasks and responsibilities to others, typically employees or team members, to leverage their skills and expertise for the benefit of the organization. Effective delegation allows you to shift your focus from daily operational tasks to planning and business development. By delegating routine activities, you free up time to work on expanding your product line, exploring new partnerships, and planning new and exciting events. This shift is one of the most important moments of business owner or manager. It enables you to think and act strategically, driving the growth and future direction of your business.

You are going to want to review your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to make sure your day-to-day tasks are handled correctly and identically the same each time. Clear and detailed SOPs provide a consistent framework for your team to follow, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and to the same standard regardless of who is performing them. This consistency is one of the most important, if not the most important, for maintaining quality and reliability in your brand and business.. With well-documented procedures, you can confidently delegate tasks, knowing that your team has the guidance they need to succeed.

Task Management

Task management is the cornerstone of successful delegation. Start by identifying tasks that can be delegated. Routine activities such as basic inventory management, social media updates, business daily cleaning, and event coordination are a good start. Assign these tasks based on each team member’s skills, experience, and or strengths. For instance, delegating social media management to one of your managers who understands social media can lead to the creation of a social media manager, if you don’t have one already. Additionally, you will need to provide the necessary resources, tools, and training to help your team complete their tasks. It is really hard to make sure all shelves are cleaned without the proper cleaner and towels to complete it. This is one of the hardest moments for an owner or manager to do. It’s important to remember that your team may have a slightly different vision or way to complete things. If a task must be completed in a very particular way, create a SOP around it and write that step by step how to guide. The main goal is to free up time for you to be able to focus on growing the business. You will need to let go a little and let your team prove to you that they can complete the task.

Here is an example of some every day tasks you can start with and then build on as you identify more tasks that can be delegated.

Accountability

Maintaining accountability is very important to ensure that the tasks that were delegated are completed. Establish realistic deadlines and break down large tasks into manageable milestones. Using a task manager that is assigned to an employee will help keep everyone informed and involved in the day to day tasks. A task manager can be as simple as a handwritten post it note, an email, or a Google Sheet. Having your on-duty manager or yourself check-in and monitor progress will help keep everyone on track. Following up on delegated tasks emphasizes their importance and reinforces accountability. Use these opportunities to provide constructive feedback, acknowledge achievements, and offer guidance for improvement. This helps in completing the tasks you need done in the business but also builds trust and reinforces a culture of responsibility. If your team feels responsible and trusted, they will feel empowered. Lastly, make sure you take time to listen to any and all feedback from the employee completing the task. They may have a better understanding or better way to complete a task which will save time, money, or just morale.

Employee Empowerment

Delegation is not just about offloading tasks to be done; it’s also about empowering your team. When you delegate responsibilities and things to be done, you show trust in your employees’ to be able to complete work on their own. This empowerment leads to increased job satisfaction, higher morale, and greater loyalty. Employees who feel trusted and valued are more likely to take initiative and go the extra mile. Employees are also more likely to contribute innovative ideas and solutions. Listen to them! Always listen for feedback and suggestions from the staff actually doing the work and the day to day tasks. They may figure out a way to save money or time. As you delegate more and more and end up doing a task personally less and less, it’s important to listen to the team. It will help build on the trust and value being built up in your business. Take the time to add any feedback when you are following up with any staff. Be ready to have constructive criticism with a side of listening and understanding. According to a 2022 post by Yahoo Finance 46% of people quit because they were underappreciated and unheard.

Conclusion

Delegation is the start of working on your business instead of in your business. By delegating tasks, you can focus on event planning, empower your team, and work on long term goals. Empowering your employees also could build on sales but also sets up a way to build up your team to be even stronger. Delegation will help your business grow, enhance customer service, and create a more successful business.