If You Want Something Done…Delegate
By Denise Landers
“Delegate?”
“It’s easier if I do it myself.”
“No one else can do it as well as I can.”
“I don’t have time to teach someone.”
Do any of these sound familiar? Every day people add more tasks onto their ‘To Do” lists. Then they find that the day (or week, or month, or year) has slipped by, and they haven’t gotten it all accomplished.
The results?
• Feeling overwhelmed or out of control
• Build-up of stress and anxiety
• Procrastination because of too much to do
• Lack of advancement or promotion
There have been many articles in the news recently about the exorbitant pay of some CEOs. Why might some of these CEOs be earning ten times to fifty times more than the average business employee does? Do they spend ten to fifty times more hours at their job than that average employee? Of course not. Everyone is using the same 24-hour day.
What are they doing that is different? For starters, if one looked at their ‘To Do’ lists, you wouldn’t see them involved in the minute details of their business operations. Their job is to look at the big picture, figure out how it can be done, and then those steps are delegated. They have to rely on others who have been trained in specific areas of the operation.
Not everyone is in circumstances that enable them to afford multiple assistants. However there are still ways to can learn to let go of some things. Consider the resources you might have at hand:
• Office assistant.–Many times they are only given the most mundane tasks, and the result is that they are not challenged. Give them a chance to grow in experience. If you cannot afford full time help, how about part time?
• Spouse/children–Let all share in the home chores. It teaches responsibility and will produce more “together” time. Self-employed people can also hire their children to assist with routine office work.
• Outsourcing–If in-house staff isn’t available, explore hiring experts, such as bookkeepers and web designers, to help. For clerical assistance, look into an area high school or community college for student interns.
Just as the major CEOs do, look at the big picture in your business and in your personal life. Train yourself to explore more options. What are your goals? What are the important tasks that will help you to achieve those goals? In deciding if your can delegate a task or project, ask yourself:
Why am I doing this?
Is there someone else capable of helping?
Is there someone I can train to do this?
Once you have identified the tasks and projects that could be reassigned, use these guidelines:
• Be explicit about what it is you want done
• Check to be sure they understand
• Set a completion date and get their agreement
• Hand over the authority that goes with the responsibility
• Identify benefits for the person doing the task
• Be available to handle questions but do not check up too many times
When time is taken out to get organized, that time spent is gained back within days, and then you are working ahead, using effective time management techniques. Delegating is one aspect of getting organized. It may take a little time to train someone to do an activity the way you want it done, but then you no longer are handling that work in the weeks and months ahead. It is worth the small amount of time to train and to delegate. Don’t procrastinate in taking the next steps.
Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. (www.keyorganization.com). Based in Houston, she is a national speaker, trainer, consultant and coach providing conference sessions, corporate training, and individual assistance to improve daily work flow and time management skills.
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There’s a reverse side to this which has struck me after spending unexpected hours today with an older family member who seems to be choosing to delegate every detail of her life–get her car fixed, talk to her investment manager, deal with home matters, take her places…. Although she is physically and mentally capable, she is passing off everything onto her sons. They in turn are going to have to be selective in what they choose to take on. Otherwise it is not doing her a favor because soon she will become incapable of dealing with issues if she is not expected to do it.
I delegate stuff to my two teens and hubby all the time, but I’m also sure to do things myself. Some folks have a hard time delegating. I see it in my husband. I think he does a lot of things himself because he wants in done right and doesn’t want to take the time to teach someone else. I’ve talked to him about this and how it can be a valuable lesson to others when he does take the time to show and teach.. especially when we’re referring to our own teens. They need to learn somewhere too, just like dad did.
I agree. No one can be everywhere and do everything. Need to keep your sanity, especially as a business owner.
In families, our kids need to learn how to take care of themselves, cook, wash clothes, shop, balance a checkbook, etc. And as people get older, I think it is a case by case. Yes, someone else may be able to do that one thing quicker, but maybe doing it themselves gives them enjoyment, accomplishment. Other times it is something that truly needs to be done for them.