Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should be the one doing it. That’s our motto for today’s episode all about delegation. It can be an uncomfortable transition to make and you are not alone. Let’s take a look at how delegating tasks can help your workload as well as helping with the professional growth of your staff members.

 

Chatting with me about delegation today is Jen Bruce. Jen is an RVT from Toronto, Canada. She has been in her current practice for 7 years and has been the practice manager there since 2016. Starting with just a handful of staff members and a one exam room practice, she has since grown her team exponentially. This also means that her responsibilities have grown. She can’t do it all and neither can you. Take a listen as Jen and I discuss some tasks that can and should be delegated and how you can give up the control to become a more efficient leader.

 

Show Notes:

[0:56] - We all have control issues and we know that. That’s okay, but you’ve got to have a plan for it.

[2:15] - Deb is bothered by how many people are on the edge, ready to snap.

[3:01] - Jen says that it is so natural to juggle a lot of things because you want to maintain the reputation of being reliable. 

[3:51] - Balancing a tech role and a manager role is a lot to handle. Jen became the go-to person for a lot of tasks.

[4:24] - You have to change your expectations and be clear about them. It is crucial to delegate tasks that you do not have to complete to someone else.

[5:10] - Redirect those tasks that you have done in the past and verbalize that there are others that can take care of these tasks now that you have a lot more to handle.

[6:00] - There is a level of trust you need to have with your team. Step out of your comfort zone and let go of the control so your team can learn and grow.

[7:27] - Jen had a hard time letting go of the control because she is the type of person to want to do something perfectly the first time. 

[8:22] - There is also sometimes a feeling of guilt in delegating a task that you have usually done. It may feel like you are delegating it to someone else to shirk your responsibilities, but it is necessary to refine your focus as a manager.

[10:46] - After delegating and pointing out what your responsibilities are reminds others that you trust them and it builds their confidence.

[11:21] - Ultimately it is a job description issue. Ask yourself if something is in your job description to do or to make sure it gets done.

[11:50] - You may discover that some of your employees or team members are actually better at some of these delegated tasks than you are. Jen delegates inventory and social media to some of her staff members who are better at those tasks than she is.

[12:54] - There’s not always a lot of upward growth in a practice, so delegating some tasks is a great way to provide growth to your staff members. These are also great to add to job descriptions and performance evaluations.

[13:58] - Sometimes a team member wants more responsibility but isn’t ready. As a leader, you will need to know when someone is ready for tasks to be delegated to them.

[16:09] - Be clear about your expectations and parameters when you delegate a task to someone who may not have done it before.

[18:40] - You’ll discover that your staff members have hidden talents. When you delegate a task out, you may discover some of these.

[19:50] - Be aware of what is already on someone’s plate before you give them more responsibility because burnout is a real problem in this industry.

[20:32] - Lay out the groundwork with your team. New tasks are not replacements for your other responsibilities and staff members need to know that you will check in and follow up. Jen says to set up a time frame for when you will check in so it does not appear like you are micromanaging.

[20:44] - If you are giving feedback, let them know that you are not micromanaging when you say to not do something or to do something differently. Odds are, you’ve made the mistakes already, so communicate this and assist.

[24:13] - Think of the long term goals when you think of who to delegate specific tasks to. You don’t need someone who is committed to being in the veterinary industry for 20 years to manage your Facebook page. But someone mature and serious in the practice should be working on scheduling, for example.

[26:24] - Jen shares how recognition impacts job satisfaction.

[26:42] - Don’t just look at the amount of tasks and responsibility on someone’s plate. Look at the level of satisfaction gained when the tasks are completed.

[28:56] - Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should be the one to do it. Your job as manager is to make sure things are running efficiently.

 

Thank you for listening. Remember you are not in this alone. Visit our website for more resources.

 

Links and Resources:

 

• VHMA Web Page
• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Jen Bruce on LinkedIn
• Wellesley Animal Hospital Web Page
• Wellesley Animal Hospital Facebook
• Wellesley Animal Hospital YouTube Channel