Delegation Tips That Reduce Stress, Not Control

If you want to grow your business, your time is your biggest bottleneck.

There are only so many hours in the day, and at some point, you can’t do it all yourself.

That’s why hiring a team is usually the best option. But having a team isn’t enough—you need to delegate effectively.

Delegation isn’t just a management tool—it’s a superpower for leaders in growing companies.

That said, we’ve all been there.

• You hand off a task, and it comes back completely off the mark.

• You think, “How did they get this so wrong?”

• That’s quickly followed by, “I’ll just do it myself.”

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I’ve done it. You’ve done it. We’ve all done it.

So, where did it go wrong? And why do we hesitate to delegate again?

Most people avoid delegation because they’ve been burned in the past. But the reality is, poor delegation is often the root cause.

The good news? This can be fixed.

Here are five things to think about before delegating your next task.

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1. Skills Match: Are They the Right Person for the Task?

Not every task belongs to every team member.

✅ Make sure the task aligns with their skill set.

✅ Avoid dumping responsibilities just because they’re available.

✅ Think about their strengths.

🔹 Bad delegation: Giving a VA a quarterly marketing strategy project.

🔹 Good delegation: Giving a VA a step-by-step outreach process with templates.

2. Clear Instructions: Do They Know What to Do?

Vague instructions lead to vague results.

Ask yourself:

📌 Is the process clearly defined?

📌 Are key details missing?

📌 Could someone with no prior experience follow your instructions?

Pro tip: If you don’t have a process documented yet, record yourself completing the task and have them build the documentation from there.

3. Access: Do They Have Everything They Need?

Nothing derails progress faster than a lack of access.

Before delegating, confirm:

✔ They have the right tools, files, and logins.

✔ They understand where to find key information.

✔ There are no blockers preventing them from executing.

A missing login shouldn’t be the reason a task sits incomplete for three days.

4. Example of Done: Do They Know What “Good” Looks Like?

How will they know when the task is finished correctly?

Give them a:

✅ Sample output they can reference

✅ Checklist to follow

✅ Measurable outcome that defines success

If they don’t have a clear vision of what the final result should be, don’t expect them to guess correctly.

5. Review: Did You Check the Outcome?

The first time they complete a task, don’t just assume it’s right.

Instead:

🔹 Ask them to walk you through what they did.

🔹 Look beyond surface-level mistakes.

🔹 Offer constructive feedback and make adjustments together.

The goal isn’t to micromanage—it’s to get it right the first time so they can execute independently going forward.

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Final Thought: Delegation Is an Investment

Yes, it will take you more time to properly delegate than to just do the task yourself—at first.

But spending an extra 25%, 50%, or even more time upfront will save you 100% of the time in the future.

Your 7-Day Delegation Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you:

In the next 7 days, identify one task you loathe doing or isn’t the best use of your time.

Walk through these five steps and hand it off to someone on your team.

If you do this right, you’ll thank yourself later.