Photo by Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash

One of the interesting difficulties I’ve faced this week is about delegating jobs to other people. We’re all told to do this in order to stop us doing everything ourselves and ultimately the larger our businesses get, the more this is recommended as a natural course to help us work ‘on’ the business not ‘in’ the business.

Delegating is a simple principle when it comes to identifying what to give people to do, but it’s amazing how difficult it can be to settle to it after that. For example I have a new website now which has been designed and developed by someone much more technically suited to the job than I am; that was the point of asking him. However,we had several problems with transferring the shop and it was immensely frustrating for me because I wasn’t in CONTROL!

When we give something to someone else it’s so that they can do a better job, but our attitude to that job must change, too. We have to alter our expectations so as to ‘let go’ of it, otherwise we’re asking someone to do it, but still holding on to it intellectually. Not only will this frustrate us but it can be very irritating for the other person. I guess this is why managing people can be a difficult job and in fairness why some of us don’t do it much – me included.

I can understand myself because I’m a Psychologist, but that doesn’t make me a good Manager!

I’d be interested in your experiences if you feel like writing.
– Sue