Are you tired of coming to the end of a workday and feeling like you didn’t get everything accomplished you planned to? Learning how to delegate tasks will improve your productivity and shorten your to-do list. Whether you are an employee or small business owner, delegating tasks is not easy. This can be especially true for entrepreneurs because most of the time, they don’t have a staff and they, either by necessity or habit, do it all themselves.
Delegating can lead to:
- A more productive workday
- A positive impact on your bottom line
- Getting rid of administrative tasks that take time but don’t really generate revenue
- Can help you to focus on the tasks that DO generate revenue
How do I learn what to delegate and to whom?
- Write down everything you do, as you do it, for a couple of days
- Look at the list and assess which tasks you could delegate
- Define the list of tasks only you can do
- Determine who could and should do the tasks you need done
- Assign the tasks to the person who can do them or hire them, if necessary
Deciding what to delegate can be difficult. You may feel that you are really the only person who can do everything that you do. Determine what knowledge someone needs to execute the task. This can be a little difficult if you aren’t used to documenting processes, but the short term work of getting the task defined can free you up in the long run.
Is this task something someone you work with can take on? Maybe you have social media related tasks and finding a social media manager is your best option. Perhaps you need to invest in hiring a virtual assistant a few hours a week. Are other people who you work with or even clients who can recommend someone who does what you need done?
Remember, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s the sign of someone who recognizes that delegation equals efficiency.
Now it is time to hand over the tasks. You should make yourself available for questions but have some trust that the person (or people) you’ve delegated to will execute the tasks well. Be OK with the fact that this is a process and there may be some things that need to be worked out. A possible positive outcome is that the person you delegate to may end up suggesting ways to make the processes quicker and easier. That will mean that if the person you delegate to has to be away, you’ll have some ideas how you can do the task more efficiently.
Now that you’ve “cleaned your plate,” go and find productive, revenue-generating tasks to fill your time! Comment below what you delegate / are going to start delegating.
