As a neuro-spicy entrepreneur, you know how challenging it can be to delegate tasks and find the right balance between providing direction and allowing employees autonomy.

Whether it's difficulty understanding the capabilities of each staff member or worrying that you won't be able to provide sufficient guidance or support if things don't go according to plan — and you're not alone.

Investing time into making sure your delegation process is working efficiently can save you a lot of stress in the long run.

With the tips outlined in this blog post, you'll be better equipped to make smart decisions about where and when direction should be provided and which team members need more autonomy.

So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!

Challenge #1. Communication

Communicating a vision and objectives can be quite the challenge for neuro-spicy entrepreneurs. It's not always easy to communicate ideas in a way that is understandable and accessible, which can lead to confusion or frustration among team members when it comes to delegating tasks.

In addition, we often struggle to communicate with neurotypicals due to various communication barriers. Neurotypicals may not understand the way we think, speak, or feel, so there can be difficulty in conveying ideas or providing feedback appropriately.

Additionally, neurotypicals may also struggle to understand how we handle our emotions or come up with creative solutions. This can lead to miscommunication and even frustration between both parties if not addressed properly.

These challenges can also lead to you hiring more neuro-spicy individuals that you can communicate with. While this can seem like a good idea, if you're still struggling to manage your own jalapeno brain, you might not be ready to help someone else learn to manage theirs and be productive for you.

So, you may need to hire and manage some neuro-typicals, and if that's the case, here's what you can do to overcome this hurdle!

Solutions

• Spend time clearly explaining goals and objectives.

• Break complex tasks down into smaller chunks.

• Utilize visuals or diagrams when necessary.

• Monitor staff while delegating tasks.

• Encourage open dialogue between you and the team so questions can be answered quickly.

Challenge #2. Team Dynamics

Neuro-spicy entrepreneurs may struggle to manage team dynamics because we often rely on creative problem-solving and thinking outside the box. This can lead to difficulty in creating a common ground between different kinds of employees as well as bringing together different ideas and points of view. 

We may also find it hard to handle conflicts or disagreements that arise within our teams, as we tend to be more sensitive and intuitive than neurotypicals and may use different coping strategies — such as stimming or needing to have more control over our environment.

Your team will likely include both neurotypicals and neuro-spicy people, so you need to learn new strategies.

Many of us have felt the anxiety or uncertainty when it comes time to give direction and guidance, so we're here to help you get through it.

Solutions

• Spend time clearly explaining goals and objectives in an understandable way.

• Break complex tasks down into smaller chunks.

• Utilize visuals or diagrams when necessary.

• Monitor staff while delegating tasks.

• Encourage open dialogue between you and the team so questions can be answered quickly.

Challenge #3. Lack of Confidence

Neuro-spicy entrepreneurs may struggle with confidence because we tend to be more self-critical and doubt our capabilities. We may feel that their ideas are not good enough or worry about failing, which can lead to lack of self-belief and anxiety when it comes to taking risks or making decisions.

We may also find it difficult to recognize the value in our ideas or achievements due to our own high standards. This can also cause of us to enforce our high standards on others and set unrealistic expectations for their performance.

Many of us also suffer from Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), a condition that can cause us to feel intense levels of anxiety and distress, as well as other emotional symptoms. It can make it hard for us to lead others due to the fear of being judged or rejected.

But it is doable to be neuro-spicy and still lead a team confidently. Here are a few tips to help you feel more confident and capable.

Solutions

• Take time for yourself to assess the situation before taking action.

• Break tasks down into smaller chunks to make it less overwhelming.

• Use data and numbers when making decisions to take out personal bias.

• Ask other team members for advice if needed.

• Be open to creative solutions from staff - their perspectives may provide valuable insight!

Challenge #4. Fear of Overloading Them

Neuro-spicy entrepreneurs may struggle more than their neurotypical counterparts to manage their team because we often overthink the situation. Our brains run fast and we're constantly coming up with idea and solutions. 

It's exciting, but our teams can really struggle to keep up with us.

Neuro-spiciness can also lead to perfectionism and can make it difficult to delegate tasks because we expect them to have the same high standards that we do. We can easily micromanage and make their work much harder than it has to be.

Additionally, your heightened sensitivity makes it hard to ignore negative feedback or criticism, which can lead to anxiety and excessive stress that is avoidable.

Solutions

• Set realistic expectations based on current employee capabilities and workloads.

• Take others' feedback into account when delegating tasks.

• Provide regular check-ins with staff to ensure that tasks stay manageable and progress is being made.

• Make use of existing tools like task management software or scheduling applications if available.

• Encourage open dialogue between staff and management - this can help prevent misunderstandings or missed deadlines!

Challenge #5. Oversharing

We know how hard it can be to keep work and personal life separate because you have a natural tendency to overshare thanks to your jalapeno brain.

We think fast and can often share way too much of our personal lives and insecurities with our staff before we even realize it. Our filter kicks in too late and before we know it, we've comprised our standing as a leader.

In a smaller team this can get more challenging. We spend so much time together with them, and they can start to feel like a family — which is dangerous.

Your business shoudn't consume you, and it shouldn't consume them either. It's important to maintain a professional relationship with your staff and be their leader, not their friend or family.

Solutions

• Make sure to take time off every day or week for yourself or your family.

• Learn when enough is enough - don't sacrifice your wellbeing just because there's more work to do!

• Set realistic goals and outcomes so you can measure success without placing extra stress on yourself.

• Prioritize sleep - restful sleep helps improve productivity during the next day so make sure to get at least 7 hours a night!

• Consider tracking daily activities to see where time might be better steered towards relaxing activities or other pursuits that may contribute positively to both your personal and professional development.

Challenge #6. Autonomy

One of the biggest challenges you may face is striking a balance between providing direction to your employees and giving them autonomy.

Neuro-spicy people often struggle with PDA (which stands for Persistent Drive for Autonomy) because it can be difficult for them to maintain a balance between independence and reliance on others.

We tend to be independent and driven, but sometimes this desire for autonomy can lead us to think that other people have the same drive. So we become advocates for our staff to have autonomy without realizing it.

It can be tough to know when to step in and take control and when to allow team members the ability to figure it out on their own. Here are some tips on finding that balance:

Solutions

• Get to know your team members' personalities, strengths, and weaknesses so that you can make informed decisions about how best to delegate tasks.

• Set clear expectations for each task and discuss any potential problems or obstacles in advance with your staff members.

• Actively listen - take time each week for open dialogue between yourself and your employees so you can handle issues as they arise without feeling overwhelmed.

• Create an environment where failure is okay - mistakes happen! Use them as learning opportunities instead of circumstances for reprimands or punishments.

• Encourage team collaboration - everyone should feel comfortable voicing their ideas and opinions, no matter their role in the organization.