This page is the final installment of a three-part series concerning delegating well in a construction contractor’s office. The first part, Delegation in the Construction Office, was followed by Avoiding Micromanagement. In this post, you are given information concerning:
What not to delegate
Delegating to service providers
Delegating through software or apps.
When delegating (or turning over the right amount of responsibility and authority,) it is essential to develop an understanding of what you need and what the needs or capabilities are of those you delegate tasks to.
Keep it to Yourself
One crucial phase in the process is determining what NOT to delegate. See the list below for suggestions concerning tasks you should keep for yourself, not delegate to others.
The establishment of your company’s mission, values, or vision
Employee performance appraisals, disciplinary issues, or other personnel matters
Traditions or etiquette
Fundraising and investor relations
Crisis management
Praise and recognition
Things that have legal restrictions only you can meet
New initiatives that require you to set the example and the standard
Items that require your expertise (Be careful with this; remember others may have your level of knowledge in some areas.)
Delegate to Service Providers
From janitorial services to attorneys and everything between, there are many service providers from whom you can choose. And although the delegating process is different, it is well to remember that you’re delegating to them something you or your team cannot or choose not to do. Think of it like this; you trust certain aspects of your business to others who are more knowledgeable, better equipped, faster, or more skilled at the delegated tasks.
The questions concerning to whom you delegate change when thinking of service providers. These are the types of things that you should address when seeking a new service provider to charge with certain tasks:
Are they easy to get along with?
Do they show a willingness to learn about your business goals?
Can they communicate well and in a language you understand? No legalese or accountingese, please!
Is the work you need within their scope?
Are they available when you need them?
Are their fees in line with their skill level?
Will they add value to your business?
Do they have references? (When calling references, discuss competence, service, and value.)
Here is an example of the types of people or firms that fall into the service provider delegation category:
Accounting
Appraiser
Architect
Business coach
Creative services such as graphic design
Engineer
Investment broker
IT consultant
Janitorial services
Landscaping
Legal service
Marketing
Safety consultant
Supply chain manager
Tax preparation
Delegate to Apps or Software
You may think of your apps, software, and SaaS as part of your tech stack, and indeed they are.
You may not recognize immediately that the apps and software you already use are a means of delegating tasks. Everything from data entry to payroll, from customer relationship management (CRM) to a content management system (CMS), from job costing to estimates and proposals can be adequately served using the right software or app.
Perhaps the best way to think of what apps and software do in your construction business is to think of them as part of a system of task progression.
An Example of Task Progression
The task in this example is – “Get the clothing and linens clean and dry.”
Your great-great-great-grandmother may have gathered with friends and relatives to do the family laundry at the river’s edge, where they used the stones for both washing and drying.
Then great-great-grandmother was probably delighted to receive a wringer washing machine to set on the porch near the clothesline strung from porch to tree.
Next up, great grandma was happy to have a gas, or electric-powered washer placed near the back door, so it was easier to get to the clothesline that may have advanced to multiple lines strung between T-shaped posts.
Then grandma was on cloud nine when she received a washer and dryer that resided in a closet near or in the kitchen.
Your mom experimented with several options in the top-load and front-load machines available and housed in a room set aside for “doing laundry.”
Now, you have options that include smart-washers and dryers that might come with built-in Wi-Fi, dryer syncing, custom cycle storage, and advanced wrinkle care.
The task has never changed. The means and methods have. Get the laundry clean and dry.
Determining what to delegate and whom to delegate to isn’t easy. Listed below are five valid questions to consider when preparing to delegate in-house, through outsourced service providers, or when considering technological solutions.
1) What tasks or assignments should be delegated?
The categories you may wish to consider when determining what to assign to others include the following.
Lightweight – short emails, scheduling meetings, adding contacts to a list
Tedious or monotonous – filing, tidying, booking flights for business trips, calendar maintenance, copying and pasting data
Prolonged – meeting preparation, tasks associated with often-changing regulations, research, scheduling appointments
Looming deadline: when additional hands are needed to complete a project, or when two or more tasks, assignments, or projects are due at the same time, and you must make one your personal priority.
One more category you should consider is the one titled “not my forte.” These things must be done, but you’re not good at doing them. This category includes things like tax preparation, website design, website and social media maintenance, accounting, and marketing.
(Remember, the examples in each category are suggestions only, and you may think they belong in a different category altogether.)
2) Is there a process to be used or created?
Systems already in use
Coordination with outsourced service providers
Creation of new systems
Is there an app for that
3) What is the expected budget, scope, or time limit?
This question entails explaining in detail the task’s parameters, how much money can be spent, and how long the task or project should take.
4) What skills are needed?
Are the skills needed already in place?
Is the person teachable?
Is someone eager to take on the task at hand?
Is there someone who would be encouraged by being assigned the task?
Is there an outsourced provider better equipped for the task?
5) What about training?
What training is needed?
How long will the training take?
Who will provide the training?
What will be the cost of training?
What training will be needed for a new app or SaaS?
Reflection: Are there a few tasks, assignments, or duties that will be done at least as well or perhaps better than you do them if delegated to someone else?
Construction Contractors look to The Profit Constructors to provide advocacy in dealing with:
Clients and customers
Employees and subcontractors
Vendors and service providers
Governmental entities
Working with The Profit Constructors gives Construction Contractors the means to organize their operations in ways that help them:
Remain informed
Avoid hassles
Reduce risks
Be future-ready
Ready for action? Or want to know more? Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary discovery call. 866-629-7735