Just six months into Michelle Mitchell’s exciting new venture as a bookkeeping firm owner, everything screeched to a halt when she was given a harrowing medical diagnosis.
Mitchell, a business coach and founder of Mitchell consulting, enjoyed the freedom of being an entrepreneur but found herself swamped by her clients.
She told the business owners in attendance at GrowCon 25 in Provo, Utah, that her perspective was entirely reframed when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic, autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.
“I had to learn how to manage my stress level within the business to live a healthy life,” Mitchell said during her presentation.
Building a business that could run entirely without her was no longer a lofty ideal. It was something she had to make a reality in order to maintain her health.
Mitchell embraced delegation in the wake of her diagnosis. She learned that a business owner “has to let go in order to grow,” she told the audience.
For the audience of more than 100 business owners in attendance, Mitchell broke down why it’s so important to trust your staff and delegate as much as possible. Let’s explore some highlights from her presentation in this article.
Curious about hearing more insights for growing an accounting business? Be sure to sign up for GrowCon 2026, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, today.
Tracking Your Capacity
The core of effective delegation lies in a fundamental choice: do you want control or freedom? Many accountants naturally lean towards control, ensuring tasks are done “our way every time,” Mitchell said. However, this desire for absolute control can become a barrier to growth. How can a business expand if its owner must personally oversee every detail?
For Mitchell, her health condition underscored the need to allow others to work within their expertise, freeing her to focus on her well-being. This shift from control to freedom enables several benefits for both the owner and the team.
When you prioritize freedom, you gain the ability to work within what Mitchell called your “genius zone.” This means focusing on tasks that bring you joy and leverage your unique strengths. Imagine spending 80% of your time on activities you genuinely enjoy, with only a small portion dedicated to less preferred tasks. Releasing control makes this possible.
Moreover, freedom empowers you to lead effectively. You lead from the front, guiding your team rather than micromanaging every step. This transition removes you as the “bottleneck,” allowing your business to operate efficiently even in your absence. This operational independence is crucial for sustained growth and personal well-being.
A great way to determine where the boundaries of where your responsibility as the business owner should end is by tracking your time. You need to track the tasks that can only be done by you, Mitchell said, and document how long it takes to complete them.
This process can’t live in the business owner’s head, Mitchell noted. It’s important to document these tasks and figure out what doesn’t fit within your schedule to find freedom.
The Cycle of Courageous Delegation
To achieve this freedom, Mitchell adopted and refined a structured approach to delegation, inspired by the “Run Like Clockwork” program. This journey, which took her firm 18 months, ultimately removed her from 80% of the daily operations. The result? A four-week vacation, a testament to effective delegation and trust in her team.
Her “Cycle of Courageous Delegation” provides a robust framework for proper delegation. This cycle, when consistently applied, ensures that tasks are effectively transferred and executed.
The cycle includes:
- Assess: Understanding where your time goes and identifying gaps.
- Define Process: Documenting the steps involved in the task.
- Find the Right People: Selecting individuals who align with your firm’s culture and values.
- Create Communication Feedback Loops: Ensuring clear and continuous communication.
- Measure Results: Evaluating the effectiveness of the delegated tasks.
Implementing this cycle allows team members to work in their genius zones, increases firm resources and capacity, and ensures reliable client service. Clients no longer depend solely on the owner’s presence. Instead, they receive consistent and high-quality service, building trust and strengthening relationships. This, in turn, allows the owner to focus on strategic growth and personal fulfillment.
IPO Processes: Information, Permission and Outcome
A key element of effective delegation is the use of “guardrails.” Initially, set clear boundaries. Tell your team member to complete the task up to a certain point, then return to you with questions. This acts as a feedback loop, allowing you to audit the process and fill in any informational gaps. This approach also manages your anxiety, ensuring the task aligns with your expectations while empowering the team member.
Once you have the right people, use the IPO framework: Information, Permission, and Outcome.
- Information: Provide your team member with all necessary background, client details, and specifics about the task.
- Permission: Grant them access to accounts, software, or client contacts needed to complete the job.
- Outcome: Clearly state the expected results of the delegated task.
Empowering your team means more than just assigning tasks. It means granting ownership. Speaker 1 candidly shared her past mistake of “fixing” a team member’s work. Her team member correctly pointed out that this undermined trust. Now, she emphasizes that once a task is delegated, it belongs to the team member. This ownership fosters confidence, responsibility, and a sense of pride in their work.
Conclusion
Delegation takes courage, Mitchell reminded the audience.
You can move from a state of overwhelm and constant control to one of freedom and strategic leadership if you’re willing to let go.
It requires assessing your time, defining clear processes, finding the right people, and fostering a culture of collaboration and trust.
When you build a system where your team is empowered and processes are clear, your firm can operate smoothly, grow sustainably, and offer you the freedom you initially sought. Step away boldly, knowing your work is in capable hands, and unlock new possibilities for your business and personal life.
Thank you to Michelle Mitchell for sharing these incredible insights with us at GrowCon. For more highlights from GrowCon speakers, check out our GrowCon favorites page.
If you’d like to catch these kind of lessons from leading minds in accounting live, be sure to grab your ticket to GrowCon 2026 in Salt Lake City.
