Here, Take The Wheel
It's tough to delegate, but this four-step method works for me.
By Pat Croce

(FORTUNE Small Business) – Over the years I've learned that one of the fastest ways a business owner can expand is to delegate responsibility. Done right, delegation helps you achieve your growth targets while maintaining a high level of quality and service.

Of course, delegating responsibility is risky. To increase the odds of success, I find it helps to have a system. Mine consists of four steps: evaluation, communication, conviction, and periodic reevaluation. Apply that system or something like it, and you will probably be in for a pleasant and profitable surprise.

The most intense delegation decisions I've ever had to make came when I reached my first plateau of success. In 1985, just one year after my first Sports Physical Therapists center opened in Broomall, Pa., I was approached by several local doctors who believed that a second center would prosper in nearby Ridley Township.

To my mind, I was already successful. I had achieved my goal of starting an independent sports-medicine center and had exceeded my financial expectations. With the doctors' proposal in mind, I started to seriously consider expansion. But I had second thoughts. And then I had third thoughts! I was scared to death of the consequences of handing over the reins of my business to an employee.

But my business manager, Steve Mountain, brought me around. Knowing that I could either expand one center or open a second one, Mountain strongly urged me to pursue the latter. He even suggested a person to run it: Ed "Fast Eddie" Miersch. But was Fast Eddie the best candidate? To find out, I did what I call my Triple A evaluation: I looked at Fast Eddie's attitude, assets, and ambition. Eddie scored extremely high on all three. He had worked for me for six years and was a supportive friend who shared my can-do attitude. He never let me down: If I asked him to do something, it got done. He was a top trainer, and he knew how to treat patients, a key to running our business. And ambition? Eddie got his nickname because he did everything fast. He attacked goals fast, came up with ideas fast. He even drove his outrageous cars fast.

I had tremendous respect for Fast Eddie. What I didn't have at the time was the courage to release control of my business—and my reputation—into the hands of another person. But with Mountain's encouragement and Fast Eddie's energy and passion, I went for it.

Still, I kept an eye on him. I communicated with him on a daily basis until I felt comfortable that our goals were aligned. You don't want to micromanage, but in the early phase of delegation you need to discuss not just the overall strategy but the underlying details as well. I would tell Fast Eddie, regarding any issue that might arise, "If an exclamation point pops in your mind, go for it. If there's a question mark, call me no matter the level of importance." Of course, you don't want to second-guess your employee, and that's where conviction comes in. I let Fast Eddie know that I believed in his leadership. If you decide to delegate, go at it with an expectation of success, and often that will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Even though I handed over the keys to Fast Eddie, I checked on him periodically. I would review his center's numbers at the end of each month, and I would find time to dine with him and let him download his questions and suggestions. And I would drop by his center in Ridley, where I'd watch him interact with customers. Fast Eddie was better then a clone.

Fast Eddie's career at Sports Physical Therapists became a resounding victory. During the next decade he carried on the vision I had for my business to my complete satisfaction until I sold the company to NovaCare, the giant health-care provider. NovaCare, by the way, is where Fast Eddie now works—as CEO.