How can I delegate better?

When you run a small business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing all the things. You tell yourself it’s faster if you just do it yourself, or that no one else will do it quite right. But that thinking is often what keeps you stuck. You become the bottleneck that stops your business from growing.

The solution? Delegate more tasks and responsibilities. You can do that without losing control, while maintaining your standards and quality. You’ll also likely see a happier team because you’re trusting them to use their expertise and letting them get on with things.

Delegation isn’t about losing control; it’s about taking it back. It’s how you create space to lead, plan and make better decisions. And it’s how you grow your business in a more sustainable way.

Here’s a simple exercise to help.

The 4D Reset

Write down everything you do in your business. Every task, big or small, then sort them into these four boxes:

1. Deliver
What’s your actual job role? What work should definitely stay with you? These are the tasks that drive impact or that only you can do well.

2. Delete
What can you stop doing altogether? Be honest. Some things add no value and only drain your time and energy.

3. Delegate
What could someone else do just as well or better? Think about what these tasks are costing you. Every hour you spend here is an hour you’re not leading or growing your business.

4. Delay
What can wait? You don’t have to do everything now. Some projects belong later in the year or even next year.

Once you’ve sorted your list, you’ll see where your time and energy really go and where you can take back control.

Tip: Do a time audit over a month. You might be surprised how much of your week disappears into things that don’t move your business forward.

The 4D Reset is simple, but it works. One of our clients has the 4Ds written on a Post-it stuck to her computer. It reminds her that she doesn’t have to do everything and that busy isn’t the goal, impact is.

She swears by that Post-it because it helps her pause before saying yes to another task. It reminds her she’s building a business designed to grow, not just to keep her busy. And it means she is growing the space to work more ON her business, not just in it.

Once you’ve decided what to delegate… 

• Make sure you choose the right person to own it. 

• Take the time to show them how to do it properly. 

• Write a simple standard operating procedure or record a short video. 

• Give feedback and help them improve. 

Don’t take it back the first time something isn’t quite how you’d like it. The more you support and coach them, the better they’ll get, and the more you’ll be able to let go.

Will it take time upfront? Yes. Will it free you up long term and create a happier team? Also yes!

We’d love to hear how you get on with trying this exercise. Send us a message and let us know.

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Want to know if we could help your specific situation or have a question you’d like answered? Just email katherine@thepocketstrategist.com and a real lovely human will answer!

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