While some people are great delegators, many struggle with trusting others to do as good a job as they do. Try looking at delegation as a teaching opportunity. According to the Harvard Business Review, here are some steps you can take in that direction.

  • Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed or going on vacation to begin showing a report the ropes. Instead, start slowly by allowing the person to shadow you to see how you go about accomplishing tasks.
  • Give them small projects and let them build up to taking on more responsibility.
  • Explain not only how, but why certain steps are needed.
  • Set aside time to critique their work and give them feedback.
  • Call on them to help fix any problems that arise. This will help to reinforce their learning.

Having an apprentice will take time and effort that you may fear you don’t have. So, you’ll also need to train yourself to see this as part of your job. After all, if you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.