When you operate your own growing business, no matter what industry you are in, it can become increasingly difficult to cover all your bases. When work becomes too much for one person to handle, delegate tasks and responsibilities to other members of your team.
For many agency owners, this can be difficult. On the one hand, allowing others to carry some of the load can benefit your agency. However, the fear of ending up with subpar quality results may cause some brokers to work alone. Fortunately, there are ways to delegate tasks and still allow your agency to continue with the highest operational and quality control possible.
The Initial Steps to Take
If you feel overwhelmed by running an insurance agency, the first thing you should do is make a list of all work-related things you no longer enjoy doing. Then delegate those tasks to other members of your team as quickly as possible. There are many tasks involved in operating an insurance agency. Some are tedious and time-consuming, but necessary for the operation of your company. There are also tasks you may enjoy more, such as meeting with clients. When you focus on what you want most, you will see the positive effects of delegating and outsourcing tasks.
Determine If Your Agency’s Strengths are in Sales or Service
Take a look at your insurance agency as a whole. Do your strengths lie in sales or service? It’s essential to focus on your strengths. If you are better at sales, focus your energy on new sales and outsource some or all of your service tasks. A cheaper option may be to partner with a firm that will take on your service tasks for you. This partnership could take on incoming phone calls and faxes, reconcile commission statements, or share the cost of your management software system. There are many options out there for agencies who want to outsource, and it would be in your best interest to look into them if you are considering delegating tasks to others.
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Tips to Delegate Tasks Effectively
Getting started isn’t always easy. Here are a few things to keep in mind and help you learn how to trust as a boss should.
Learn How to Let Go of Some Responsibilities
No matter how hard you try, you can’t take on every task yourself. To better understand this, think of being a boss as being a parent. You may be nervous when your child starts doing things on their own, but it is something they must do. Trust that you did your best with training, showing them the way, and allowing them to fly on their own. The same is true for the members of your team. You hired them for the job. Now it is time to see how well they do.
Be Specific and Don’t Micromanage
If you have provided your team with specific instructions and laid out the time frame for them to follow, trust that they will meet your expectations. Do not micromanage the process in an attempt to make things simpler. It’s fine to get progress updates to see how things are going, but allow your team members to solve problems and complete the job without hovering over them. Their process may differ from yours, but as long as they get the job done and it’s done right, that’s all that matters. Remember, just because you are their boss, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn something new from your team members.
Show Your Appreciation
Once the job is complete and it meets your expectations, be sure to say thank you. A boss who believes they do not need to thank their workers will face difficulty keeping quality people on their team. Let them know they are appreciated, and your agency will go far.
Once you understand how important it is to delegate tasks to others and help your agency grow over time, you will feel more comfortable handing these crucial tasks to others. Take the time to determine which team members are responsible enough to take on each job and delegate them accordingly to ensure you receive the best results.
