Delegating = Valuing Your Worth

Almost all foundational leadership and management programs in business teach the skill of delegation. Business publications regularly include features such as this one in Inc. Magazine (2015), "7 Strategies for Delegating Better and Getting More Done." This best practice is no longer limited to business. Delegation is a life skill that we all need to master - here's why.

In my practice, I frequently talk with successful small business owners who are struggling to manage multiple competing demands. Those demands come from all areas of life, not just business. Regardless of the source, they create a vortex of energy depletion that is real and seemingly impossible to break. The price you pay is also substantive. ​

Does this look like you, trying to partition your energy evenly among multiple demands?

Lack of efficiency, creativity, and thoroughness resulting from mental and physical fatigue, lack of focus, time away from work, etc., eventually hit the bottom line as reduced revenue or increased costs. Can your business afford those losses?

Within the angst and weariness lies the possibility of a powerful breakthrough rooted in the concept of delegation.

Identify your unique contributions
Being the jack of all trades is easy but usually not effective or profitable. 

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Value your contributions
Every "Yes" is also a "No" to some other opportunity. 

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Do the math
Focus your time on the things that create the greatest return and delegate the rest.

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My CEO coaching work services small business owners, many of whom have very few employees. Owning their business and serving their clients is demanding, and yet it is a bright spot in their lives because they love what they do. Most often, our conversations about delegation are not about managing their business. Instead, it is about handling the other curveballs of life. 

Curveball #1

Jane's mother fell and broke her hip. After surgery, her insurance covered a week's stay at a rehabilitation facility. Jane wanted her mother to stay at her house when she was released from the facility to make it easier for Jane to provide care and transportation. Jane's mother wanted to return to her own home. Jane expressed her anxiety about juggling her clients around trips to PT and the doctor's office. 
DELEGATION SOLUTION: Granny Nannies of Louisville and Southern Indiana (502-454-9134)

Stephanie Riggle has owned her Granny Nannies franchise for over a decade and personally meets with families seeking care services and individuals seeking employment as a part of her team. "We are committed to creating affordable and flexible care while maintaining the highest quality experience for our clients. We take the time to understand what is valued by each client when establishing his/her individualized care plan. Our clients appreciate the consistency of care they receive by having the same caregiver regularly attend to them whether that is one hour a day, 24-hour assistance, or once a month."

Curveball #2

 John's father passed away just three months after his mother. As the only relative who lived close to his parents, the responsibility to clean out his parent's home and get it on the market fell to him. His Saturday's were committed to traveling soccer team with his son and Sundays were his only day to relax. The large house had over 50 years of collected items to be sorted through. John was exhausted every time he thought about it.
DELEGATION SOLUTION: Sarah Hodge, Downsizing and Organizing Coach (502-777-2969)

"As a downsizing coach, I offer my clients a system that helps them sort through a lifetime of memories and belongings. Being emotionally unattached to the items, I provide a different perspective and resources to help clients decide what to do with all the possessions after a loved one passes." Downsizing and Organizing Coach Sarah Hodge, Owner of Property Partners 502.

Curveball #3

 Tax season was Janet's busiest time, and her clients were counting on her. Everyone in her life knew the drill - 12 hour days, 7 days a week. Now was not the time for her roof to start leaking. She couldn't find the time to source a roofing company, and waiting for hours at her house for someone to complete the estimate, and subsequent repair was impossible. What Janet needed was a stay at home wife who could handle these things. All she had was her fluffy white cat, Snowball.
DELEGATION SOLUTION: In Sync With You, Lifestyle Management & Concierge  Services (502-802-9335)

Cathi Bingaman, Owner of In Sync With You, has a liberating motto, " If it doesn’t bring you joy or make you money, it should be on our list, not yours!" Her value proposition is simple, "Often people think it will save them money to handle ALL of the tasks associated with running a business and a home. They underestimate the level of disruption as well as the time and energy associated with handling everything on their own. Sourcing, scheduling, waiting, all of these can create missed opportunities to generate income and distract you from the essential priorities in your life!"

The US service economy is ripe with opportunities to delegate activities that divert our energy and attention. I admit that I'm using the term delegate loosely, as the examples provided above require payment for services. Nonetheless, the principles of effective delegation apply. And most importantly, when my clients do the math, the money earned working in their business exceeds what they spend getting the help that they need. 

Your time is a precious and limited resource. Your time is quantifiable as a monetary value. To quote a British adage, don't be penny-wise, pound-foolish.
Do the math, then delegate.

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