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Delegation Excuses Debunked

Overcome your fear of handing off tasks to your staff.

REBECCA L. JOHNSON, CPOT, COT, COE

Trying to accomplish too many tasks on your own limits your practice’s success while stunting the growth of your team members. Still, many people have reasons they avoid delegating tasks.

Here, I explain how to overcome three common delegation excuses.

1 “I don’t want to look incompetent.”

This excuse is common among office managers, especially those who have worked for the same practice for a long time. As a relationship of trust develops, doctors can unknowingly assign more responsibilities than managers can accomplish in the hours scheduled. The result: Managers become stressed, work long hours and feel unappreciated. In addition, they don’t delegate, as they think the boss does not want anyone else to do these tasks.

The truth: The doctor who makes requests to the office manager generally does not care who performs them (as long as the person is qualified). Managers need to realize they look inadequate in the eyes of the employer if the job is not finished.

Managers shouldn’t feel shame in asking for assistance — the weight of the whole office does not have to be on one person’s shoulders.

2 “Teaching someone is time-consuming.”

Many people feel that by the time they teach someone else to do a job, they can just as easily accomplish it themselves. This can be the case when delegating clinical tasks that have a bit of a learning curve, such as testing visual acuities, performing contact lens fits and filling out patient history documentation.

The truth: While delegation can take a lot of up-front effort, spending a few hours teaching a task can reduce stress and allow you to see more patients through time.

Remember: When a staff member begins learning a task, it generally takes longer to accomplish. Remain patient, and provide the needed support. Choose someone who has an interest in what they are being taught and takes ownership of the task, and they will become reliable.

3 “If I want it done ‘right,’ I have to do it myself.”

People who feel a lot of pride in their job commonly use this excuse. They do not trust that anyone is capable of achieving the results they do.

The truth: By pushing pride aside and showing appreciation for the talent that others can bring to the table, you will see an increase in team moral and engagement. Meaningfully involving other people in a task develops skills and abilities, allowing you to delegate tasks with confidence in the future.

No more excuses

If you are like most people, you often wish you had more hours in a day to get everything done. One person can only do so much, which means you must determine the best way to delegate tasks to the right people to increase productivity and relieve some of the pressure you feel.

Now is the time to start. OM

MS. JOHNSON IS THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF EYETRAIN4YOU, AN OPHTHALMIC STAFF COACHING AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. E-MAIL HER AT REBECCA@EYETRAIN4YOU.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.