Firm for the Culture | I Don't Know How to Delegate.
From Overwhelm to Empowerment. I Am What a Trademark Attorney Looks Like.
I had to admit it: I didn't know how to delegate.
Coming from Big Law and Corporate America, finishing a task by myself was my badge of honor, a testament to perseverance, determination, and grit.
It was the proof of my unwavering dedication to my vocation, it was proof that I was loyal to my calling.
That is, until burnout came knocking - not once, not twice, but three times in less than five months.
Something needed to change.
So I decided to take a few things off my plate.
Easy enough, right?
The results were unsatisfactory.
Fear gnawed at me, whispering that something might not get done.
I had an "all or nothing" approach, and when the stress of mounting tasks became unbearable, I rolled up my sleeves and plowed through them myself.
Does this sound like you?
Have you also experienced the “joys of delegation” only to be back at square one with more work than you can handle?
You’re not alone.
Like many of us, perhaps you didn’t actually learn what effective delegation looks like.
Delegation is not a natural-born talent or a switch you can flip on when things get tough.
It it is a skill that we are able to develop, nurture, and fine-tune.
So for this post, we’re going to talk about how to elevate through delegation, fine-tune our leadership chords, and tap into a rhythm of growth that will make us 1% better each and every day.
But first, Church Announcements:
Firstly, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for our recent LinkedIn Live event, Scaling a Business that Cultivates Joy with Erica Lasan.
We had a remarkable discussion with Erica Lasan, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, who managed to scale their businesses while cultivating joy and work life balance.
It was truly dynamic!
If you weren't able to join us live or simply want to relive the fantastic conversation, don't worry!
You can watch the recorded session here. (LinkedIn login required)
Now, let's keep this momentum going!
We have some exciting events coming up:
Lessons From a Social Entrepreneur with Jamie Mittleman
Date: July 20, 2023 at 7:00 AM PDT | 10:00 AM EDT
Ever wondered how social entrepreneurs manage to mix business acumen with a heart for change?This live session with Jamie Mittleman is your chance to find out.
We're peeling back the curtain on social entrepreneurship and exploring the lessons Jamie has learned on her journey.
Get ready for an energetic morning full of impactful stories and nuggets of wisdom.
Link to Register Here: Lessons from a Social Entrepreneur
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Back to our regularly scheduled topic: Delegate to Elevate - Surrendering as You Scale
Delegation is a dance that requires grace, understanding, and a dash of humility.
As Michael E. Gerber notes in his book “The E-myth,” true delegation is about sharing the workload, not abandoning it.
Take time to understand the task at hand; what information or tools are needed for effective delegation?
What areas are you not proficient in that need to be researched?
As recently discussed in our Firm for the Culture discussion with Nykole Prevost, Vice President of Chase, sometimes scaling down and stepping back is crucial to scaling right back up.
Yes, it may be quicker to do it yourself in the short term, but what happens when you simply need a break or want to take time away from the office?
True delegation isn't about dumping tasks onto others; it's about empowering them to learn, grow, and eventually take ownership.
No need to reinvent the wheel when delegating.
Harness the power of technology to streamline delegation.
To make the delegation process simple and to cut down on meeting overwhelm, the Firm for the Culture team uses loom, a screen recording platform that allows for asynchronous communication and a solid walkthrough of tasks.
And once the video is made, we can then add it to training guides for new team members!
Another handy tool is a free task Kanban board platform, like Taskboard, which keeps track of tasks effectively.
But that's a part of the learning curve.
Before delegating, ask yourself these crucial questions: Is there time to redo the job if it's not done properly the first time?
What are the consequences of not completing the job on time?
Answering these questions will help manage expectations and also determine if this is a task worth delegating at all.
And when mistakes are made, allowing your team and yourself time to course correct will make for invaluable lessons for all.
At Firm for the Culture, we dole out tasks with buffers for possible redos, we also engage weekly assessments on “wins” and “lessons learned” to prevent recurring mistakes.
It boosts team morale and allows us to celebrate the small wins along the way.
And all of our jobs easier.
Delegation, like any other skill, requires practice.
It's a crucial element of effective scaling and management and forms a cornerstone of playing big.
As you surrender control, you don't lose power but gain the ability to elevate your business, your team, and yourself.
#ForTheCulture
And when you’re ready to protect your unique contribution to the culture, including protecting the bold brand you’re building, reach out to us.
Can’t wait to help you protect your dynamic impact.
And #ThatsAWrap
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See you next time.
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