Why Entrepreneurs Struggle Delegating to Remote Teams We can be so busy 'inside' the business that we don't have time to work 'on' the business.
By Jeff J Hunter •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Over the last few years of working with business owners, I know that there are two main problems that prevent them from building effective remote teams:
The fear of losing control.
Major process problems.
I have found that most people have difficulty giving up control. I know, I am a control freak myself! The rest just don't know how to delegate, and that's a process problem. So, why do entrepreneurs struggle delegating to virtual teams? Most are so busy "inside" the business, that they don't have time to work "on" the business. The trick to beat the fear of losing control is understanding that you need to focus on the most valuable use of your time. The only way to achieve that is to have a reliable, consistent and intelligent person or team of people to take over the activities that are not the best use of your time.
Here's the truth: You do too many things as business owners. You do it because it's important. However, it's not important that you do it all.
Related: A Quick Guide to Managing Your Remote Team in the New Normal
Separate your life into four boxes
Here's an example that I've already provided with my own role as the CEO of VA Staffer. I'll walk you through each step to freedom through delegation.
Step 1: In the first box are the Repetitive Tasks.
Ask yourself, "What are the things that I have been doing every day that I can delegate or down source (or teach someone to do it for you)?" These could be checking emails or bookkeeping.
Step 2: In the second box are the Challenges.
Ask, "What are the areas in your business that you can't do because you haven't figured it out, it's too hard or it is taking too long?" These could be building funnels or creating an email marketing sequence. You can outsource or hire somebody who knows these better than you.
Step 3: The third box is the Neglected.
This time, ponder on this question: "What are things that you are neglecting because you keep on doing the repetitive tasks and the challenges?" These could be social media or inbound marketing.
For instance, in a recent trip with my business partners, we worked on our neglected tasks. For me, it was setting up the on boarding automated video and email sequence for my clients. The goal is to provide them tips and tricks on how to use a virtual assistant or virtual team. After identifying the neglected task, I recorded videos then sent it to my virtual team. My virtual team would then edit the videos and write the email sequences.
Step 4: The fourth box is Value.
What, really, is the most valuable use of your time? These could be generating sales, conducting webinars, marketing, having a podcast, and, yes, even spending time with your family!
Rest assured that things are going to get easier once you identify these four boxes in your life.
The fastest way to delegate (and the easiest)
So now you are ready to let go of some tasks to your virtual team member(s). Here's what you can do: Open your preferred recording app (I like Loom and TinyTake), make sure you're recording the screen, and just do what you normally do. Volia, you are creating a virtual standard operating procedure, or what I call Freedom Recipes.
Related: The Importance of Workplace Culture in a Hybrid Setting
The entrepreneurial trap of delegation
It's common for entrepreneurs to add more and more to their plate. When you start to delegate and give responsibilities to other people's plates, guess what many will do with their empty plates? They fill them up again!
This is why having a team of dedicated people who are committed to helping you get results is key. If they're not able to perform the task reliably and consistently, entrepreneurs are forced to add those responsibilities back on their plate. You're now actually working harder than before with double the load as you're doing the job of two people.
It's important to invest in your business processes and team members or it will fail. That's what separates the successful entrepreneur with actual freedom, from one who's created a job for themselves that will work them into a grave.
