21. Delegating Without Micromanaging
I got a question recently from a listener asking about how they can delegate tasks to their employees without micromanaging. You’re busy, you have a business to run, you want to take things off of your plate, and delegating is a core skill in making that happen. But what is micromanaging and where is the line between delegation and micromanagement?
I think of micromanaging as over-controlling to the point where it’s detrimental to you and the person you’ve hired for support. You could be delegating the work but not truly handing over responsibility for the task, or you could be disrupting your own schedule to hover over your employees, waiting to sign off on every single thing.
Tune in this week to discover how to delegate in a way that allows your employees and support staff to create and help you produce tangible results. I’m sharing some common delegation challenges, how to spot where you’re micromanaging, and I’m showing you how to allow your team to think for themselves while they contribute value to your business.
Out of Overwhelm is my signature six-month program designed to take you from overwhelmed and stressed to profitable, in control, and fulfilled. Applications open in mid-May and we kick off the next round in July 2023, so if you love the topics covered on the podcast, click here to get yourself on the waitlist!
If you loved today’s topic, let’s make sure you never miss an episode. Follow the show now wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you haven’t already, make the time to leave me a rating and review. As a special thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, I’ll send you a little mid-week pick-me-up in the mail, so simply screenshot your review and send me a message on Instagram!
What You’ll Discover from this Episode:
How I use the phrase micromanagement, and how to get clear on your own thoughts about leadership and micromanaging.
Why not delegating effectively leads to you as the CEO becoming a bottleneck in your business.
How setting your employees up to succeed sets you up to succeed as well.
2 examples of common delegation problems that can easily be solved without micromanaging.
My tips for communicating effectively with your staff when delegating tasks.
The deep work we do around delegation in Out of Overwhelm.
How to give your team what they need to help your business get results, while allowing them to think for themselves.
Listen to the Full Episode:
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Full Episode Transcript:
Hey, designer, you’re listening to episode 21. This is the one where I’m going to be talking all about delegating without micromanaging.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you’re ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you’re in the right place. I’m Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let’s go.
Hello, designer. Welcome back to the podcast. As always, thrilled to have you here. Today has been a really fun day so far. I went to see my very first client, she is a local client. I went to see her at her office, which in itself is just an incredible space, it is so her. And what is really amazing about it is when we started working together she was in a garden unit office space with not a whole lot of light, no employees, working on some projects that just were not a good fit and feeling really frustrated with her business.
It was incredible to have a little time to sit and reflect on how far she has come with this gorgeous office space, a full team of people who she feels so supported by, who really support her. She has systems in place for her projects. She’s developed some really strong relationships for referrals in the area and working with really dreamy clients. I’m just so happy for her and it was great to reconnect and to be able to do that in person.
And it was also really fun to think back to when we first met and how far we’ve both come. When we first met, she was actually looking for some assistant help with marketing, pitching for press. And I had reached out to her to say that I could help her with that. That’s something that I have a lot of experience in and was kind of finding my way back into work after being off from having our second child.
And we were having a conversation, we were talking about the industry, talking about some of the things she wanted to do in her business. And I just shared the idea that had been percolating for over a year in my head around how I really felt like there was a need that needed to be filled in the design industry for mindset and strategy coaching.
I told her more about what I thought designers could really use help with and how I might be able to help them. And she responded, well, I’ll be your guinea pig. And that was my first client, my very first coaching client. So as we were sitting there together, I was thinking back, thinking about how far she had come in her business. And thinking about how I had not even started a coaching business when we started working together, and the evolution of my own practice and how I support clients, how far it has come.
One of the things that I try and consciously remember often is that I never want to be the one to say no to myself. That’s such a perfect example of me sharing what was true for me, what was on my mind, and giving someone the opportunity to receive that invitation and take it up if they wanted. And she did. And I’m forever grateful for that conversation we had and really full of celebration and awe for where we both are today.
Sitting down to record this after having my visit with her was especially great because she was talking about one of her latest team members and how this person in her business is able to really do things better than she even can. And today we’re going to be talking about delegating without micromanaging, which I think is exactly what she’s doing with this employee. And it’s a topic I’m really excited to explore with you today.
This topic is actually coming from a listener question. This designer messaged me on Instagram and I thought, one, this is a great question that I would love to address, not just for this designer, but that everyone would benefit from. And I also thought this would give you some insight into what it’s like to work with me, to be able to ask me your questions anytime you want. Get my brain on your business, get that personalized feedback.
Out Of Overwhelm enrollment is coming soon. And for those of you who are newer to me, Out Of Overwhelm is my six month group program that is really designed to take you from overwhelmed and stressed to profitable, in control, and fulfilled because I want you to enjoy running your business and it starts with managing your time.
I limit enrollment and Out Of Overwhelm so that I can really get to know every one of my clients, know what they’re working on, and what they want to accomplish in the program. It is super high touch while also having the benefit of community.
When this designer reached out, it was really similar to the opportunity that my clients have when they work with me, to just send me a message and say, hey, this is what’s coming up for me and this is how I need support. Out Of Overwhelm is going to be opening up for enrollment the second week of May for waitlist members, and then the third week for everyone else.
While enrollment is open, I’m going to be hosting a free session specifically on delegation. It’s going to be a combination of teaching, you having the opportunity to ask me questions, and me coaching you live. If you want to be the first to know when sign-up is available, click the link in the show notes for my newsletter, Monday Mindset, that way you will be sure to receive the invite and get on the list.
And, of course, if you’re interested in joining me and Out of Overwhelm for the summer session, get on the waitlist. You’ll also be able to do that through the show notes. The waitlist members are going to get first dibs on those limited spots. And they’re also going to be receiving a very special bonus, but only if you’re on the waitlist. So get your name added.
All right, let’s dive into the topic. Again, the designer that messaged me was asking the question of how do I delegate without micromanaging? This is such a great question because you’re busy, you want to take things off of your plate by delegating. This is one of the core modules that I teach in Out Of Overwhelm because it’s really important as you grow your business to have support.
So it makes perfect sense that this designer does not want to get support in order to have more to do. She wants to have support so she has less to do. As I’m going to be answering this question, I want to explore it from a couple of angles.
The very first piece that I want to explore, and want you all to be clear on, is what do you mean by micromanaging? Take a moment and think about what is your definition of micromanaging right now. When I use the phrase, it’s often in reference to a sense of over control to the point where it’s detrimental to you and the person you’ve hired for support. This might look like not actually delegating the work or handing it off. You could tell someone to do it, but you’re still actually doing the work or redoing a lot of the work.
I will say, sometimes redoing can be a byproduct of needing to set better expectations, checkpoints, setting up systems so they know what to do, or possibly a performance or skill set deficit on the employee’s part. That can be present but what I’m talking about here is delegating the work, but it’s like you still have this very tight grip on it and you don’t actually let the other person own the responsibility of the task.
Micromanaging might also look like hovering, constantly checking in to the point where it’s disruptive to you and the employee. This could also look like keeping yourself as the main point of contact and wanting to sign off on every single step of the way, creating a bottleneck in your business. This is where setting really clear expectations and systems and processes in your business can be so, so supportive. And that’s another thing that I cover in Out Of Overwhelm so that you are setting people up to succeed which, of course, then sets you up to succeed as well.
The reason I’m bringing up your definition of micromanagement is because I often find that clients are mistaking leading or leadership in their business for micromanagement. The reason you hire someone is always to produce results. They might be producing the tangible result for you, or they’re freeing you up so that you can produce those tangible results. So you do need to make sure that results are being created and that expectations are being met.
With that distinction I want you to check in with yourself. Are you thinking that micromanaging is being bossy? Or are you concerned that you don’t want your employees to think that they are beneath the things you’re asking them to do even though, let’s be honest, you’re hiring them to do the things that aren’t best suited for you or the highest value for you to be putting your time into.
One of my clients came to one of our group sessions and she had such a powerful revelation. It’s one of those where you can intellectually know something but you don’t know, know it. Do you know what I mean? So she came to the call and she said, “I finally get it. I don’t have to feel bad asking the people I hired to help, to help me.” Yes, you want to be empowered in your leadership and in your delegation.
This is really where the mindset piece of delegation comes into play. We want to be aware of what is our story around asking for help, around delegating, so that it’s not interfering with the really effective strategies that I teach for the actual hand-off of the work.
Now I want to go into the designer’s specific example she shared when she messaged me. Whenever you’re troubleshooting in your business, it’s always important to get really specific instead of having a vague problem because it’s going to allow you to come up with a specific solution versus a vague solution.
When we work together, one of the things I’m going to teach you is a skill that is going to be with you for the rest of your working life, and just the rest of your life. And that skill is to ask high quality questions to get high quality answers. And getting specific is one of the ways you do this. Your next steps become so much more clear in how you move forward.
This designer shared two examples. The first example was she said she has an assistant who checks on her item tracking and then sends updates to her clients. And she thinks she has a regular pace for doing this but doesn’t really know the exact dates so the designer can plan accordingly.
The other piece she added is that she doesn’t know the exact language that this assistant uses in her communication or emails. She noted that occasionally she’ll see one of these emails and feel called to reply to her and suggest alternate wording. The designer said she could draft certain emails and save them as templates, which I highly recommend, such a time saver for you and your team.
But she also said she wants her, meaning the assistant, to be her own professional person. And if she tells her exactly what to say every time, she’s spending time spinning her own wheels. But she also really wants her communications to feel on-brand and doesn’t want the choice of words that the assistant uses to be off-putting to the client.
So right now think about how this is applying to you? Where are some of these examples resonating with maybe a relationship that you have in your business? And here’s what I want to say as a response to this designer, the first is why don’t you know the exact dates? And what do you think is in the way of you setting those clear expectations for timelines?
I think that’s completely reasonable to ask for and set those deadlines with the people who are supporting you. I like to think about this as a by when date. So not just a time for it to be due, but even just when are we going to check in on this? How am I going to know if you’re on track and what progress has been made? How am I going to set the timeline so that we have ample space for revisions?
Now let’s talk about the communication style. What I’m really curious about is if the way that this assistant communicates is just different from how this designer would do it? Or is it actually impacting the client experience? I completely agree you don’t want to tell the assistant exactly what to say because then she’ll never learn and you’re going to be doing this work that you’re paying someone else to do and you’re just going to perpetuate the dependency on you to do the work.
If the communication style truly is an issue, you could create brand language to have as part of your standard operating procedures. So that would be words you use, you don’t use, how you create subject lines, the way you sign off in an email, things like that. Then, of course, the assistant either follows it or doesn’t follow it. And then if they don’t follow it, then we can talk about all of that, then we can talk about the feedback process.
The designer also shared a few other examples, the other one being that sometimes she finds that unless she details out step by step the subtasks of a project, she happens to use Asana, what they discuss on their weekly check-ins doesn’t get absorbed or implemented.
And then she also shared that if she writes out step by step instructions that’s following a process that’s based on her experience, she still feels like she’s micromanaging. She goes on to say I want my team to have their own way of doing things, but I also want it to be within our overall system. And then she has this awareness that the thought pattern is keeping her stuck in the “I should just do this” loop.
This is what I want you all to consider with those examples. If something isn’t getting implemented within the timelines you set or just even how you want it done or steps are being skipped, it’s a great time to evaluate why that might be
Are you personally clear on all of the steps involved? And are you clearly communicating with them? Or are you expecting others to fill in the gaps or read your mind? And depending on the level of hire you have, they may or may not be able to do that or have the current skill set.
I also want to know, are you stating this is what I want done? Or are you dancing around the what and the when because you’re feeling a little bit shaky about truly delegating and asking for what you want and asking for what you hired the person for?
Again, if instructions aren’t being followed and it’s impacting the results or workflow in the business, this really needs to be addressed through feedback. And this can feel challenging, I get it. But remember, you and your assistant are on the same team. You want your team to succeed, and your assistant wants to be successful, too. So in that regard, you both want the same thing. And you as the leader can really support that process.
I know that giving feedback, doing employee reviews can be something that’s really challenging for some of you as growing business owners, and that’s why in Out Of Overwhelm I teach you a simple process for providing feedback that really does feel good for everyone.
The other question I want to pose is, if you really want your team to have their own way of doing things, or if the true desire is that you want them to take initiative and be self-led within the process you’ve established? Do you actually just want them to do what you ask them to do in the way you ask them to do it? Or are you afraid of being seen as bossy?
I think when you have a team member with a different perspective or skill set, it can be really valuable at times to audit the way the things are done in your business and look for improvements. But if there’s a process you want to establish in your firm, and you know that it works and you know you want it done a certain way, you might not want your team to be taking creative license and running with things. And that is perfectly fine.
So first, I would be clear on what those non-negotiables are for you, and then also where there’s room to flex. Along with documenting your own processes, I would also start giving your team members more opportunities to craft their plan for tasks, based on the processes of course, which they can then run by you for feedback and help to flesh out if needed.
So in this case, it could even be after they have their weekly meeting that the assistant comes back with a project breakdown or an action plan for the week that the designer reviews and gives her feedback on or signs off and says yep, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
The reason I really encourage this is because then you’re teaching your team members to learn and think for themselves, which increases the level of value they bring to your company, which increases the value of your company overall. You’re investing in the employee by helping them learn to think at a higher level, which benefits you, it benefits your business, and it benefits the employee and helps them grow in their position.
The other reason I recommend this is because you are very easily then able to see gaps in the way that the employee is thinking, the way that they’re showing up to their job, or possibly even in how you’re doing things internally within the company so that they can be addressed sooner rather than later.
That’s what I wanted to share with this designer who submitted a question. And I also want you to be asking yourself, again, how does this apply to my specific situation? I guarantee there are patterns and links and themes that are showing up for you.
Inside Out Of Overwhelm you learn my five step process for effective delegation alongside having support so you can pop into the community, which is available to you daily for coaching, or come to one of our weekly calls and get coached by me live so that you can get support as you use the process in real time.
I also want to remind you, I am going to be hosting the open coaching call and Q&A on delegation specifically, in celebration of enrollment opening for the summer round of Out Of Overwhelm. That’s going to be in May, click the link in the show notes to get on Monday Mindset, which is my weekly dose of coaching for you every Monday morning. It’s also how you can be the first to know when I’m offering training and learn about the ways that I can support you.
As we wrap up I want you to decide, what are you going to take away from this podcast episode and bring it to your business this coming week? The impact of effective delegation is that you are going to have more time to focus on what you do best, your zone of genius, which is going to be better for your company as a whole, and it’s going to free you up to do more of what you actually enjoy doing.
It also gives you so much more brain space. Think about how much mental space you can create when you actually let someone do their job and set them up to do it effectively. They get to take ownership of the work, which actively builds their skill set and problem solving skills, which makes them more valuable to your company, which will only continue to compound.
The other thing I really want to make sure you’re taking away from today’s episode is that when we’re talking about delegating and the things that support it, like feedback, systems, processes, it’s never just about the tactics. There’s also the human part of this business and being a leader who’s willing to look below the surface, dig a little deeper so that you can grow internally as your business grows externally. It is the fastest path to creating a streamlined business where you’re doing the work you love to do and making the money you want to make doing it.
In the next episode I’m going to be sharing about a really easy to implement but incredibly impactful time saving method that I call automated decisions. I can’t wait to dive into that topic. Until then, I’m wishing you a beautiful week, as always. I’ll talk to you in the next episode.
I’m going to make the bold assumption that you enjoyed today’s topic. Let’s make sure you never miss an episode; follow the show now wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you haven’t already, I would really appreciate it if you’d make the time to leave me a rating and review. This is how I know what you’re loving so I can share more of it.
And it’s also how you can help others find The Interior Design Business CEO. As a thank you for leaving a rating and review, I want to send you a little midweek pick-me-up in the mail. Simply screenshot your review and send me a message on Instagram, @DesiCreswell. I’ll talk to you next week.
Thanks for joining me for this week’s episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you’re ready to take what you’ve learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you’re ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you’re in the right place. I’m Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let’s go.
Hello, designer. Welcome back to the podcast. As always, thrilled to have you here. Today has been a really fun day so far. I went to see my very first client, she is a local client. I went to see her at her office, which in itself is just an incredible space, it is so her. And what is really amazing about it is when we started working together she was in a garden unit office space with not a whole lot of light, no employees, working on some projects that just were not a good fit and feeling really frustrated with her business.
It was incredible to have a little time to sit and reflect on how far she has come with this gorgeous office space, a full team of people who she feels so supported by, who really support her. She has systems in place for her projects. She’s developed some really strong relationships for referrals in the area and working with really dreamy clients. I’m just so happy for her and it was great to reconnect and to be able to do that in person.
And it was also really fun to think back to when we first met and how far we’ve both come. When we first met, she was actually looking for some assistant help with marketing, pitching for press. And I had reached out to her to say that I could help her with that. That’s something that I have a lot of experience in and was kind of finding my way back into work after being off from having our second child.
And we were having a conversation, we were talking about the industry, talking about some of the things she wanted to do in her business. And I just shared the idea that had been percolating for over a year in my head around how I really felt like there was a need that needed to be filled in the design industry for mindset and strategy coaching.
I told her more about what I thought designers could really use help with and how I might be able to help them. And she responded, well, I’ll be your guinea pig. And that was my first client, my very first coaching client. So as we were sitting there together, I was thinking back, thinking about how far she had come in her business. And thinking about how I had not even started a coaching business when we started working together, and the evolution of my own practice and how I support clients, how far it has come.
One of the things that I try and consciously remember often is that I never want to be the one to say no to myself. That’s such a perfect example of me sharing what was true for me, what was on my mind, and giving someone the opportunity to receive that invitation and take it up if they wanted. And she did. And I’m forever grateful for that conversation we had and really full of celebration and awe for where we both are today.
Sitting down to record this after having my visit with her was especially great because she was talking about one of her latest team members and how this person in her business is able to really do things better than she even can. And today we’re going to be talking about delegating without micromanaging, which I think is exactly what she’s doing with this employee. And it’s a topic I’m really excited to explore with you today.
This topic is actually coming from a listener question. This designer messaged me on Instagram and I thought, one, this is a great question that I would love to address, not just for this designer, but that everyone would benefit from. And I also thought this would give you some insight into what it’s like to work with me, to be able to ask me your questions anytime you want. Get my brain on your business, get that personalized feedback.
Out Of Overwhelm enrollment is coming soon. And for those of you who are newer to me, Out Of Overwhelm is my six month group program that is really designed to take you from overwhelmed and stressed to profitable, in control, and fulfilled because I want you to enjoy running your business and it starts with managing your time.
I limit enrollment and Out Of Overwhelm so that I can really get to know every one of my clients, know what they’re working on, and what they want to accomplish in the program. It is super high touch while also having the benefit of community.
When this designer reached out, it was really similar to the opportunity that my clients have when they work with me, to just send me a message and say, hey, this is what’s coming up for me and this is how I need support. Out Of Overwhelm is going to be opening up for enrollment the second week of May for waitlist members, and then the third week for everyone else.
While enrollment is open, I’m going to be hosting a free session specifically on delegation. It’s going to be a combination of teaching, you having the opportunity to ask me questions, and me coaching you live. If you want to be the first to know when sign-up is available, click the link in the show notes for my newsletter, Monday Mindset, that way you will be sure to receive the invite and get on the list.
And, of course, if you’re interested in joining me and Out of Overwhelm for the summer session, get on the waitlist. You’ll also be able to do that through the show notes. The waitlist members are going to get first dibs on those limited spots. And they’re also going to be receiving a very special bonus, but only if you’re on the waitlist. So get your name added.
All right, let’s dive into the topic. Again, the designer that messaged me was asking the question of how do I delegate without micromanaging? This is such a great question because you’re busy, you want to take things off of your plate by delegating. This is one of the core modules that I teach in Out Of Overwhelm because it’s really important as you grow your business to have support.
So it makes perfect sense that this designer does not want to get support in order to have more to do. She wants to have support so she has less to do. As I’m going to be answering this question, I want to explore it from a couple of angles.
The very first piece that I want to explore, and want you all to be clear on, is what do you mean by micromanaging? Take a moment and think about what is your definition of micromanaging right now. When I use the phrase, it’s often in reference to a sense of over control to the point where it’s detrimental to you and the person you’ve hired for support. This might look like not actually delegating the work or handing it off. You could tell someone to do it, but you’re still actually doing the work or redoing a lot of the work.
I will say, sometimes redoing can be a byproduct of needing to set better expectations, checkpoints, setting up systems so they know what to do, or possibly a performance or skill set deficit on the employee’s part. That can be present but what I’m talking about here is delegating the work, but it’s like you still have this very tight grip on it and you don’t actually let the other person own the responsibility of the task.
Micromanaging might also look like hovering, constantly checking in to the point where it’s disruptive to you and the employee. This could also look like keeping yourself as the main point of contact and wanting to sign off on every single step of the way, creating a bottleneck in your business. This is where setting really clear expectations and systems and processes in your business can be so, so supportive. And that’s another thing that I cover in Out Of Overwhelm so that you are setting people up to succeed which, of course, then sets you up to succeed as well.
The reason I’m bringing up your definition of micromanagement is because I often find that clients are mistaking leading or leadership in their business for micromanagement. The reason you hire someone is always to produce results. They might be producing the tangible result for you, or they’re freeing you up so that you can produce those tangible results. So you do need to make sure that results are being created and that expectations are being met.
With that distinction I want you to check in with yourself. Are you thinking that micromanaging is being bossy? Or are you concerned that you don’t want your employees to think that they are beneath the things you’re asking them to do even though, let’s be honest, you’re hiring them to do the things that aren’t best suited for you or the highest value for you to be putting your time into.
One of my clients came to one of our group sessions and she had such a powerful revelation. It’s one of those where you can intellectually know something but you don’t know, know it. Do you know what I mean? So she came to the call and she said, “I finally get it. I don’t have to feel bad asking the people I hired to help, to help me.” Yes, you want to be empowered in your leadership and in your delegation.
This is really where the mindset piece of delegation comes into play. We want to be aware of what is our story around asking for help, around delegating, so that it’s not interfering with the really effective strategies that I teach for the actual hand-off of the work.
Now I want to go into the designer’s specific example she shared when she messaged me. Whenever you’re troubleshooting in your business, it’s always important to get really specific instead of having a vague problem because it’s going to allow you to come up with a specific solution versus a vague solution.
When we work together, one of the things I’m going to teach you is a skill that is going to be with you for the rest of your working life, and just the rest of your life. And that skill is to ask high quality questions to get high quality answers. And getting specific is one of the ways you do this. Your next steps become so much more clear in how you move forward.
This designer shared two examples. The first example was she said she has an assistant who checks on her item tracking and then sends updates to her clients. And she thinks she has a regular pace for doing this but doesn’t really know the exact dates so the designer can plan accordingly.
The other piece she added is that she doesn’t know the exact language that this assistant uses in her communication or emails. She noted that occasionally she’ll see one of these emails and feel called to reply to her and suggest alternate wording. The designer said she could draft certain emails and save them as templates, which I highly recommend, such a time saver for you and your team.
But she also said she wants her, meaning the assistant, to be her own professional person. And if she tells her exactly what to say every time, she’s spending time spinning her own wheels. But she also really wants her communications to feel on-brand and doesn’t want the choice of words that the assistant uses to be off-putting to the client.
So right now think about how this is applying to you? Where are some of these examples resonating with maybe a relationship that you have in your business? And here’s what I want to say as a response to this designer, the first is why don’t you know the exact dates? And what do you think is in the way of you setting those clear expectations for timelines?
I think that’s completely reasonable to ask for and set those deadlines with the people who are supporting you. I like to think about this as a by when date. So not just a time for it to be due, but even just when are we going to check in on this? How am I going to know if you’re on track and what progress has been made? How am I going to set the timeline so that we have ample space for revisions?
Now let’s talk about the communication style. What I’m really curious about is if the way that this assistant communicates is just different from how this designer would do it? Or is it actually impacting the client experience? I completely agree you don’t want to tell the assistant exactly what to say because then she’ll never learn and you’re going to be doing this work that you’re paying someone else to do and you’re just going to perpetuate the dependency on you to do the work.
If the communication style truly is an issue, you could create brand language to have as part of your standard operating procedures. So that would be words you use, you don’t use, how you create subject lines, the way you sign off in an email, things like that. Then, of course, the assistant either follows it or doesn’t follow it. And then if they don’t follow it, then we can talk about all of that, then we can talk about the feedback process.
The designer also shared a few other examples, the other one being that sometimes she finds that unless she details out step by step the subtasks of a project, she happens to use Asana, what they discuss on their weekly check-ins doesn’t get absorbed or implemented.
And then she also shared that if she writes out step by step instructions that’s following a process that’s based on her experience, she still feels like she’s micromanaging. She goes on to say I want my team to have their own way of doing things, but I also want it to be within our overall system. And then she has this awareness that the thought pattern is keeping her stuck in the “I should just do this” loop.
This is what I want you all to consider with those examples. If something isn’t getting implemented within the timelines you set or just even how you want it done or steps are being skipped, it’s a great time to evaluate why that might be
Are you personally clear on all of the steps involved? And are you clearly communicating with them? Or are you expecting others to fill in the gaps or read your mind? And depending on the level of hire you have, they may or may not be able to do that or have the current skill set.
I also want to know, are you stating this is what I want done? Or are you dancing around the what and the when because you’re feeling a little bit shaky about truly delegating and asking for what you want and asking for what you hired the person for?
Again, if instructions aren’t being followed and it’s impacting the results or workflow in the business, this really needs to be addressed through feedback. And this can feel challenging, I get it. But remember, you and your assistant are on the same team. You want your team to succeed, and your assistant wants to be successful, too. So in that regard, you both want the same thing. And you as the leader can really support that process.
I know that giving feedback, doing employee reviews can be something that’s really challenging for some of you as growing business owners, and that’s why in Out Of Overwhelm I teach you a simple process for providing feedback that really does feel good for everyone.
The other question I want to pose is, if you really want your team to have their own way of doing things, or if the true desire is that you want them to take initiative and be self-led within the process you’ve established? Do you actually just want them to do what you ask them to do in the way you ask them to do it? Or are you afraid of being seen as bossy?
I think when you have a team member with a different perspective or skill set, it can be really valuable at times to audit the way the things are done in your business and look for improvements. But if there’s a process you want to establish in your firm, and you know that it works and you know you want it done a certain way, you might not want your team to be taking creative license and running with things. And that is perfectly fine.
So first, I would be clear on what those non-negotiables are for you, and then also where there’s room to flex. Along with documenting your own processes, I would also start giving your team members more opportunities to craft their plan for tasks, based on the processes of course, which they can then run by you for feedback and help to flesh out if needed.
So in this case, it could even be after they have their weekly meeting that the assistant comes back with a project breakdown or an action plan for the week that the designer reviews and gives her feedback on or signs off and says yep, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
The reason I really encourage this is because then you’re teaching your team members to learn and think for themselves, which increases the level of value they bring to your company, which increases the value of your company overall. You’re investing in the employee by helping them learn to think at a higher level, which benefits you, it benefits your business, and it benefits the employee and helps them grow in their position.
The other reason I recommend this is because you are very easily then able to see gaps in the way that the employee is thinking, the way that they’re showing up to their job, or possibly even in how you’re doing things internally within the company so that they can be addressed sooner rather than later.
That’s what I wanted to share with this designer who submitted a question. And I also want you to be asking yourself, again, how does this apply to my specific situation? I guarantee there are patterns and links and themes that are showing up for you.
Inside Out Of Overwhelm you learn my five step process for effective delegation alongside having support so you can pop into the community, which is available to you daily for coaching, or come to one of our weekly calls and get coached by me live so that you can get support as you use the process in real time.
I also want to remind you, I am going to be hosting the open coaching call and Q&A on delegation specifically, in celebration of enrollment opening for the summer round of Out Of Overwhelm. That’s going to be in May, click the link in the show notes to get on Monday Mindset, which is my weekly dose of coaching for you every Monday morning. It’s also how you can be the first to know when I’m offering training and learn about the ways that I can support you.
As we wrap up I want you to decide, what are you going to take away from this podcast episode and bring it to your business this coming week? The impact of effective delegation is that you are going to have more time to focus on what you do best, your zone of genius, which is going to be better for your company as a whole, and it’s going to free you up to do more of what you actually enjoy doing.
It also gives you so much more brain space. Think about how much mental space you can create when you actually let someone do their job and set them up to do it effectively. They get to take ownership of the work, which actively builds their skill set and problem solving skills, which makes them more valuable to your company, which will only continue to compound.
The other thing I really want to make sure you’re taking away from today’s episode is that when we’re talking about delegating and the things that support it, like feedback, systems, processes, it’s never just about the tactics. There’s also the human part of this business and being a leader who’s willing to look below the surface, dig a little deeper so that you can grow internally as your business grows externally. It is the fastest path to creating a streamlined business where you’re doing the work you love to do and making the money you want to make doing it.
In the next episode I’m going to be sharing about a really easy to implement but incredibly impactful time saving method that I call automated decisions. I can’t wait to dive into that topic. Until then, I’m wishing you a beautiful week, as always. I’ll talk to you in the next episode.
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Thanks for joining me for this week’s episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you’re ready to take what you’ve learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
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