Become a Power Delegator in 5 Steps

Going from one to two or more units it's a lot more challenging than people think. For you to be a successful multi-unit franchisee, you must become a power delegator, someone who can delegate the right way so that you can grow and achieve the business and personal goals that you desire.

What does it mean to be a power delegator? When you have a never-ending to-do list and multiple units, asking people to do things for you is pretty normal. But when you delegate and that task is done equal or better than if you did it yourself, that means you are a power delegator.

If you can accomplish this, your business will operate properly even when you are not there and your profitability will continue to go up. So, developing this skill must be on top of your goals as a multi-unit franchisee.

Here are the five steps you have to follow to become a power delegator.

Step 1: Define what you’ll delegate

I recently talked to somebody who wanted his people to effectively interview new candidates. When I asked what he meant by that, he mentioned tasks like: reviewing the applications the right way, prospecting for a specific profile, scheduling interviews as quickly as possible, and asking the right questions to identify who those people truly are.

Also, doing a proper follow-up to make sure that the candidate is a good fit, and if everything works out, making a job offer as quickly as possible to capture that person. And he wants this whole process done respectfully and properly since they are representing his brand. As you can see, behind this “simple” task, there is a lot more that needs to be done.

If you want to be a power delegator, you have to be clear, complete, and concise in your instructions, letting people know all of your expectations so that the activities are properly fulfilled.

Step 2: Document the tasks and expectations

Don’t rely on the memory of your employees. Document what you are delegating and what you are expecting so that if they have any questions, they can go back and make sure they’re doing exactly that. Otherwise, it will be impossible for them to do it equally or better than you.

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This documenting doesn't have to be on paper; you can record yourself in video or audio, explaining what you want people to do and how they can fulfill your expectations.

Step 3: Training your people

When you give your crew members a task and put it in paper, video, or audio, it doesn’t mean that they're going to do it and outperform. You must spend the necessary time to teach them what needs to be done, and how to do it, so that they understand what is expected of them.

Even if you believe that they already know the correct procedure, you have to make sure in some sort of way that they actually have the training and the knowledge they need.

Allow your personnel to ask questions and verify the processes so that they are 100% clear. Clarity is key in this whole process and this step is crucial to make sure your expectations are met and the activity is performed equally or better.

Step 4: Delegate responsibilities

Delegating is an actual step in the process of delegation, but sometimes we forget to officially transfer the responsibility. It may happen that leaders ask someone to perform a task but they still do it because they are afraid that the crew member won't. Or, they think that people may not be clear on what to do.

At some point in time, there has to be an official handoff of the expectation and the responsibility for a certain activity, whatever that may be. And you have to be clear with that person so that they know that, from now on, that task is up to them. Obviously, you need to leave your door open for them to then come back and ask questions.

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Step 5: Do a follow-up

It is very critical to make sure that whatever action you delegate gets done equally or better than you. This magic happens during this step. The follow-up shouldn’t be done in a mean way; your personnel has to sense that you are there to support them and make sure that things are going in the right direction.

In case they're not, guide them and redirect their actions. Remember that one of your responsibilities as a multi-unit leader is to inspire others. You have to be someone that supports your people to set them up for success. 

Those are the critical five steps for you to become a power delegator. If you have 150 things that you want to delegate, you have to do all of these on all of the 150 tasks to be successful. And you must be consistent, otherwise, some activities in your list will be done right and others won't. 

The American Franchise Academy helps franchisees create and become power delegators, by developing and documenting the systems, processes, and procedures they need to delegate their operations to their leaders. That way, they can have the time and financial freedom they want and deserve.

If you are interested in becoming a power delegator multi-unit franchisee that has great success in their business, our Command Program is for you. Go to MultiUnitSuccess.com and register for our upcoming information session to hear about our program, what we teach, and how we can help you be super successful in this process.

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Reflections:

• Have you clearly identified what activities you want to delegate?
• Are your crew members ready to take over those tasks?
• How much do you trust your employees with those responsibilities?
• How are you doing the follow-up on those activities?

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