Adapted from Microsoft Small Business Kit by Joanna L. Krotz, John Pierce, and Ben Ryan

If you have trouble letting go of tasks that you've always done in the past, your department's growth becomes stunted. If you insist on knowing every business detail no matter how trivial, or attending every routine meeting to call the final shot, employees and opportunities hit the wall.

If you want your department to grow, you'll need to evolve from the passionate control of your days as a company founder or founding staff member into a manager who is comfortable handing over power and responsibility to trusted deputies.

Before loosening the reins, take a few moments to review your tasks and responsibilities. Start by creating a list identifying the tasks you currently do that can be done by someone else or eliminated entirely. You can't start letting go until you have a clear-eyed assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on the work that only you can accomplish, and give responsibility for the rest to subordinates. Remember when you delegate, the first rule is empowerment — don't keep second-guessing deputy decisions. Here are some more tips on how to delegate well:

• Chuck your ego   Resist self-flattery. Don't tell yourself that no one does anything as well as you do and nobody works harder or longer. There are people out there who know more than you do.
• Let go in stages   Don't rush into delegating. Even if you have staff that are ready to shoulder the load, suddenly shifting your responsibilities won't work. It must be done gradually so that both you and they can grow into your new, unaccustomed roles.
• Don't play favorites   Select the deputy who has the skills to get the job done, not simply a friend or favored protégé.
• Make your intentions clear   Communicate your expectations and goals to the deputy. Explain what needs to be accomplished, but don't give detailed directions on how to do it.
• Set up a procedure to review results   You can choose to review progress over an informal breakfast once a week or in a formal monthly report. Be consistent about the procedure, after you establish it.
• Ask for input   Get your deputy's advice and ideas on how to reach your desired business goals — you could learn something.
• Formally introduce the deputy   Let everyone in the department know that the deputy has a new or enhanced role, and clearly describe what he or she will be doing. Don't let other employees make end runs around the deputy to report to you.
• Don't give and then take away   Be consistent about the authority that you delegate.
• Never criticize in a crowd   Always set up a one-to-one, private meeting for feedback. Then offer specific, positive ways to correct the problem rather than ticking off a list of disappointments.
• Don't dump, delegate   Don Dymer, a former Scotland Yard police inspector who owns a pre-employment screening business, says, "You have to empower people and give them status. You can't just dump a job on people with the attitude that you can't be bothered to do it so you're asking them."
• Delegate, but set priorities   Fast-growing departments often focus so intently on handling new responsibilities that no one is actually in charge. Set the mission and the agenda for your department and keep everything on track. A hands-off policy can only go so far.

In the process of learning how to delegate, try not to point fingers. No department can flourish in an environment that penalizes experimentation or trust. While that sounds obvious, on a day-to-day basis, the nature of risk-taking inevitably means a lot of dead ends before any breakthrough. How you handle hiccups and how you encourage employees to pick up the pieces and start anew makes all the difference between a department that encourages innovation and one that stagnates.

The remedy for your ever-expanding task list is to put your trust in the people you hire and give every employee sincere responsibility. Hands-on, my-way-or-the-highway managers won't find this easy. But that's how departments — and businesses — get better and more profitable.

About the authors   Adapted from Microsoft Small Business Kit by Joanna L. Krotz, John Pierce, and Ben Ryan. Visit Microsoft Learning to learn more about this book and its authors.