Dominate Delegating

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the vast quantity of tasks that we must do from day to day.  When everything feels important it can be hard to decide what tasks you should hand off and how to even begin doing that. At first sight, delegation can feel like more hassle than it’s worth, however by delegating effectively, you can hugely expand the amount of work that you can deliver. It is critical for leveraging your time in a more positive & productive way. Are you ready to find your productivity rhythm? YourChoice Concierge is here to help you get outside of your comfort zone and learn how to dominate delegating!

Helpful first steps:

• Write down your daily to-do list (i.e. exercise, open & sort mail, respond to emails)
• Write down you weekly to-do list (i.e. bookkeeping entries, take out the garbage, social media posts, child’s sports or activities)
• Write down you monthly to-do list (i.e. bill pay, dusting, client check-ins)
• Write down you quarterly to-do list (i.e. oil change, tax payments, networking event)
• Write down you yearly to-do list (i.e. car registration, holiday cards, organize the garage)
• Write down your active or one-time projects (i.e. office setup, cleaning the gutters) 

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN; EVEN IF YOU KNOW IT CAN’T BE DELEGATED. Feel free to break this down even further (i.e. professional to-dos & personal to-dos). Having a list of all your tasks will allow you to sit down and make a plan. After completing this list start highlighting things on your list that only you can handle & cannot be performed by anyone else (i.e. watching your daughter at her dance class).

Next, begin developing a priority system for your tasks. Since you only have a certain number of hours to delegate, you should rank each task based on the amount of effort/time/skill required to complete each task (1 – easiest/quickest & 5 – longest/most challenging). Only spend time ranking the tasks you’ve already identified as something someone can handle on your behalf.  This should help you decide what to delegate and when. DON’T DELEGATE A TASK YOU CAN’T CLEARLY DESCRIBE. The time you save by not working on the task is more than offset by the time you spend answering questions and continually redirecting the person to whom you’ve assigned the unclear task. If in doubt, ask the person you’re working with to provide feedback after you give an assignment. Have them reveal doubts, questions, or suggestions before beginning tasks. It’s also important to delegate the authority required to successfully complete each task. This can include such things as a budget (and the ability to spend it) and permission to make decisions.

When you first start to delegate, you may notice it takes the assignee longer than you to complete tasks. This is because you are an expert at what you do, and the other person is still learning. Be Patient; if you’re working with the right person and delegating correctly, you’ll find that they quickly become competent & reliable.  Focus on results. Concern yourself with what is accomplished, rather than detailing how the work should be done. If you allow the person, you’re working with to control their own methods and processes it will facilitate success and trust.

To learn more about maximizing your life contact YourChoice Concierge; your productivity boosters & stress reducers!