"How do I delegate when there's no one to delegate to??"
The answer is NOT 'just do it yourself'
Hey team, today we’re diving into the topic that you all voted for over on my Instagram stories…
Delegation when there is nobody to delegate to.
When everyone is busy? The team is too small? No resource? Or maybe you’re a team of 1?
I get it and I’ve been there. It feels like you're wearing all the hats and you can’t possibly be the ‘manager’ because you’re too busy ‘doing the do’. You’re getting stuck in.
Back when my team was just of 2/3 people, I realised that, for us to grow and succeed, I still needed to untangle myself from the day-to-day chaos.
So, how did I do it when there wasn't a huge team waiting to take on my workload? Here's my strategy.
Step 1: Write down your strengths (strengths are NOT what you’re good at)
Firstly, identify what you’re strongest at. I'm not talking about what you're good at; I'm talking about what fills you with love and energy at the end of a hectic day.
I’m great at cleaning windows… But if I did it over and over again I wouldn’t be very fulfilled or challenged.
For me, my true strengths are People/HR and marketing.
Step 1 is just to simply figure out these strengths and write them down.
Step 2: Recognise Your Value-Adding Zones
Next up, pinpoint where you add the most value to the team.
Are you a wizard at bringing in new customers or upselling to existing ones? Are you unreal at crunching data?
Whatever it is, mark it down.
For me, this was running the finances, allocating money in the budget and making sure all our books were correct and up to date.
Step 3: List Everything Else (Yes, Everything)
Next step is to write the big master list, on this list I want to see everything you're doing that doesn't fall into the categories of strengths or value addition.
Meetings, emails, system management, client interactions, the whole shebang—write it all down.
At this point you should have 3 lists:
Your strengths
Where you add value
Everything else you’re doing
Time to channel your inner maestro of delegation….
Step 4: Delegate Like a Pro
Whilst in this scenario, with ‘nobody to delegate to’ or ‘no resource’, the truth is you can’t fully liberate yourself from the day-to-day tasks, I still had to get stuck in when the team was small.
BUT I sure could optimize my time, and the time of the rest of my team, like a champ.
My strengths—HR, marketing —stayed close, along with the things I was doing that added the most value.
Meanwhile, everything on list 3, my less-than-favorite tasks, like obsessing over product details, client interactions, and anything demanding meticulous attention, found new homes with team members who excelled in those areas.
Do the same exercise with your team too, find where they are strong/adding value, and work on making sure their tasks are fitting with their strengths.
Using this method, we delegate purposefully (as opposed to just giving more work to someone who is super busy).
A survey by Harvard Business Review found that effective delegation not only boosts individual productivity but also enhances team morale and engagement. So, when you delegate like a pro, it's a win-win for everyone involved. Don’t be afraid to move things around even when people are busy.
Step 5: Time to get rid of the crap
The very last things, at the bottom of the piles, that nobody is strong in and isn’t adding much value to the business?
These are the things you need to be cutting out.
Why are you wasting time on them?
Summary
In a nutshell, when you find yourself with a not-so-massive team, who might all already be super busy, don't use that as an excuse to shy away from delegation and do everything yourself.
There are ways to become a master of time and productivity even in these scenarios.
Identify your strengths, know where you shine the brightest, list everything else, and delegate strategically.
Your future self will thank you for turning your team into a well-oiled, scalable machine 🚀
Peace,
H