Selecting your staff is just the first step towards building the perfect bookkeeping team — the next step is to delegate. The power to effectively streamline your bookkeeping processes lies in trusting and empowering your team. If you’re struggling with delegation at your firm, here are some tips for dividing your workload. 

Why is it so Hard to Delegate?

Basically, it’s not easy to give up control. Though you’ve handpicked your team for their talent and expertise, it can still be hard to relinquish control of projects to other people. You might be harboring some internal fear that the work might not be completed correctly or in the manner you would like. Additionally, you may be struggling to find the time to train your team on how to handle different tasks. 

Figure Out What Work Needs Done

Before you can delegate your bookkeeping tasks, you need to decide what those tasks are. Not every assignment should be handed over, but there are plenty of daily operations that can be delegated out to other team members. Figure out which tasks your team can manage — especially those tasks that eat away at a lot of your time. 

Pick the Right Team Member

The next step in good delegation is choosing the right member of your staff for the specific task. Each person at your firm has a distinct skill set and a unique set of professional goals. Their current workload, of course, should also be factored into your decision. 

Provide Good Guidance

If it seems delegation is a weak point at your bookkeeping firm, the culprit could be a lack of clear instructions. If your team isn’t sure what’s expected of them, then they’re more likely to not meet those expectations. It can be helpful to use tools like checklists so that your team members understand exactly how to best complete the task assigned to them. 

Enable Feedback

As with every other aspect of your practice management, delegation can also always be improved. That’s why it’s so important to provide outlets for your team to give and receive feedback. Feedback can help both you and your team members to ensure that tasks are being delegated well and done correctly. 

Encourage Your Staff

It can be intimidating to take on a new project or task at work. You should work to establish a culture of collaboration and empowerment at your bookkeeping firm. Encourage your team to take charge of their projects, reward them for a job well done, and provide the resources they need to develop professionally. Your staff should also be encouraged to ask questions and offer up their own solutions. 

Teamwork makes the dream work — but your team can’t work if they aren’t given the right tasks and tools to complete them. Good delegation and collaboration can help improve your firm’s daily operations while also taking the load off your shoulders. Need some help creating checklists for your team? Check out our other blog here!