I’m not a control freak, but I do like things done a certain way.

Ok, so maybe I am just a wee bit of a control freak on certain things. I’ll take comfort in the fact that I’m not alone though. I’m guessing that since you are reading this article, you might be a wee bit as well.O P E N I N G

As we both know, being a control freak is a great way to get everything done exactly to our liking. The problem is that we run out of time pretty quickly – both at work and at home.

I would love to save you some of the agony I have put myself though by sharing my seven secrets for letting go:

  1. Remember: progress is the ultimate goal

Trying to do everything ourselves comes at a big cost: things take a really long time and other important work gets delayed. Recruiting help means things get done faster. Progress is much more important than perfection. Nothing great ever happened if it got held up in the “idea” stage.

  1. Be proactive

The key is to involve people sooner rather than later. We are more likely to recruit help when we plan ahead. If we have an imminent deadline looming over our head, and other people are busy, we have no choice but to do it ourselves.

  1. Be crystal clear

Being crystal clear about what we want is critical. Sure, it would be lovely if they could read our mind, but not everyone’s telepathic skills are that great. The best way to confirm understanding is to ask them to repeat back what they heard.

  1. Budget time for revisions

Letting go means work might come back to us with the odd mistake. It is helpful to remember we make mistakes too. If there is one thing we all have in common, it is that we are all perfectly imperfect. Very few tasks require perfection. And sometimes “mistakes” open up new possibilities. Interestingly, both post-it notes and penicillin started out as mistakes.

At the same time, let’s be realistic – not all mistakes lead to fantastic inventions. Edits and revisions may be necessary. One of the biggest frustrations for us control freaks is to run out of time to do so. Build in time for the inevitable revisions.

  1. Be open to different approaches

Other people may tackle a task differently, but different isn’t always wrong. As long as we reach our goal, it doesn’t really matter what path they took (within reason of course). Sometimes different approaches can be a good thing: they might discover a better way or open up other opportunities. Sometimes this even leads to better results.

  1. Invest in great people

Surround yourself with great people and tap into their strengths. Letting go requires training to share your experience and context. This does not happen overnight. Learning takes time and people learn best by doing. Providing feedback (both positive and constructive) along the way will help lead to better results every time.

  1. Keep Your Eye on the End Goal

Ultimately, it is the results that matter most. It doesn’t matter who played what role or how things were done. If we keep our eye on the end goal, we become less particular about controlling every detail.

I hope these secrets help you to leverage more help. Please share your comments if you have some more tips on letting go.