At a glance
- Delegation can be challenging for founders as their business grows.
- Guilt, loss of control and fear of lowering standards can cause overwork and burnout.
- Practical frameworks can prioritise tasks and improve delegation skills.
To scale operations and support their own professional growth, delegation is essential for business owners.
Many SME leaders either founded their companies themselves or took it on from a family member, and often they see their business as their baby. Having worn many hats in the early days, they may feel they know the right way to do things, and can find it harder than managers in larger companies to hand over control to employees.
As a company grows, however, it becomes impossible for one person to hold the reins on everything. And they shouldn’t keep trying to, as those that delegate successfully generate 33% higher revenue than those who don’t, according to a Gallup study.
What are the barriers?
A common reason for struggling to delegate is the fear of losing control, and a lack of trust in employees that they will get the task right.
Many leaders worry that handing over tasks will lead to mistakes or work that doesn’t meet their standards.
Manoj Bhardwaj, fractional CFO at The CFO Centre, says: “Owners who feel that tasks must be done “just right” may struggle to trust others with even simple assignments, which can stall delegation efforts. If team members have previously “underperformed”, owners may be reluctant to delegate to them again.”
Taking time off can also be problematic. A recent Uswitch survey revealed that 70% of leaders feel guilty when taking any time off from their businesses. However, burnout is a risk for those who fail to take any down time, which can have serious impacts on the business.
What should be delegated vs retained?
“Delegation is all about freeing up your time to focus on what truly drives your business forward,” comments Will Kogan, General Manager at Franklin Parcel. “To identify tasks that should be delegated, start by asking yourself: what are the things only you can do and what could someone else handle?” he says.
Matching tasks to employees with the right skill levels is key.
“Look for people who are either already equipped with the right skills or who have the potential to grow with the task. You want to set them up for success, so don’t throw them into something way beyond their current abilities.”
Bhardwaj agrees and says: “Tasks that are time consuming but have low strategic impact, easily teachable, or fall within another person’s area of expertise are suitable for delegation, as are tasks that do not align with the owner’s unique strengths.”
“On the other hand, tasks should be retained if they are strategic in nature, require vision or deep knowledge, are tied closely to the company’s core values or brand identity, or involve legal or financial responsibilities.”
Develop practical frameworks
The key to delegation is task prioritisation. Leaders can develop and utilise an Eisenhower Matrix, a framework that categorises tasks according to their importance (Y axis) and urgency (X axis). Tasks can be grouped into each quadrant to determine their order of completion.
Another option is building out a trust ladder. This is a framework for defining what trust looks like for your team at each level on the ladder, from giving direct instructions to full empowerment to take on tasks alone.
Bhardwaj suggests that business owners begin by assessing the competencies of each team member. “Skill and motivation levels can help guide task assignment: highly skilled and motivated team members can take on major responsibilities; those with skill but low motivation may need engagement; less skilled but willing individuals can be trained and supported,” he says.
To ensure accountability expectations must be clearly set and the scope of work, timelines and deliverables need to be defined from the outset. “Providing written briefs can help avoid miscommunication, whilst regular follow-ups and progress reports should be scheduled to track performance and maintain accountability,” Bhardwaj says.
Case study: Successful delegation pays work-life balance dividends
Top Left Design’s Founder and Director, Keren Lerner, says: “I don’t work late. I don’t work weekends unless I want to. I can work from anywhere. That kind of freedom felt impossible before.”
“I used to be much more stressed and caught up in every tiny detail. I was across everything – the design, the coding, the client updates – and it was completely unsustainable. Now there’s a clearer division.”
“I focus on running the business and setting the direction, and my team takes care of the delivery. They manage projects, talk to clients directly, and make decisions without needing me to be involved at every step. I still join milestone meetings, but I’m not the bottleneck anymore.”
Finally, small business owners should rely on their accountants, who are in a strong position to guide them through better delegation practices.
Accountants can demonstrate the financial cost of business owners spending time on low-value tasks by highlighting opportunity costs, and help clients assess how their time is currently allocated and identify where it would be better spent.
They can also illustrate the cost-benefit analysis of hiring or outsourcing, showing when such steps become financially sensible. Bhardwaj says this helps create systems and processes, such as introducing automation tools, to make delegation more efficient and less burdensome.
“Most importantly, they can reinforce the idea that effective delegation is not just a convenience but a critical part of a business’s growth strategy.”
IFA’s Futureproofing Your Practice webinar series helps practice owners plan for the future, develop your business and ensure you are offering a service your current and potential clients seek. More information here.
