This Podcast Is Episode Number 460, And It's About Different Skill Sets Of A Construction Company's Financial Team When you run your own business, it's tempting to take on every responsibility. There are many reasons for doing so: you want something done a specific way because you don't have the time to explain how to do it or because you're not sure someone else can handle the task.    Delegating saves you valuable time and energy. Sharing duties with your team also fosters a sense of responsibility, engages them, and helps them develop their skills.   What makes it so hard to delegate? Construction workers live in the real world, where everything can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, and sometimes smelled. They can look around and see evidence of their activities. Their long-term time horizon in years past was two weeks, which is why most payrolls are paid every two weeks. With the variety of check cashing and payday loan outlets, their long-term time horizon has been replaced with now and right now! Construction company owners work in an intangible and imaginary world where nothing is real or solid. Nothing in this part of their world can be perceived with any of your five senses: Sight, Sound, Feel, Taste or Smell. Your long-term time horizon is between 30 days and one year, depending on the size and complexity of your construction projects. Construction company owners have to make 100's if not 1,000's of decisions every day with whatever limited information is available. As a construction company owner, you have to decide on Marketing Strategies, Accounting Strategies, and Production Strategies. The decision on which market to pursue is only the beginning. Once the decision has been made on which market to follow, you have to decide which subset of that market: New, Remodel, or Service & Repair. Each strategy needs very different construction workers,  Put the wrong worker in the wrong environment, and you could see for yourself what happens when a Bull gets loose in a china shop and it is not pretty! Here are six strategies to help you improve your delegation skills.  1. Know when to delegate You may have to begin by delegating small, low-stakes tasks, especially if delegation makes you uncomfortable. If you're like many people, you hold onto as many tasks as possible and only begin delegating once you feel too busy or worn out to take on another thing. It's good to get used to delegating before you become burned out, so you can more appropriately and effectively choose which tasks should be handed off to others.  Here are questions to ask before you delegate: Is it vital that you do the task yourself (be honest about this–do you have to be the person to take this on)? Is there someone else who has the relevant skills, experience, or interests to take it on? Is there someone else keen to do it? Do you have time to give detailed information about the task? Are you available to monitor progress? 2. Match the task to the appropriate person Often, construction business owners delegate a task by finding someone who has time to do it. Just as you have your strengths, so do your team members. When you charge, make sure to consider the person who is most suited to it based on their skills, level of knowledge or experience, and interests. Unless necessary, don't push someone into a task they have no experience or interest in.  3. Make sure the delegated individual understands what's being asked of them You may understand what needs to be done, but your team may not. Spend time with those involved to ensure they're on board as well. They need to know the goals or objectives, how the task is accomplished, what success looks like, and your expectations. 4. Communicate openly Leave room for your team members to come back with questions or concerns. Follow up with them yourself to see how they're progressing and what support they need. Address any challenges they have and celebrate...