Delegation... there's an art to it!

Allow me to demystify what some people believe is the unattainable art of delegation. This somewhat unique skill seems to leave people drowning in an abyss of paperwork in a bid to maintain some semblance of control in their day to day business life... if only they knew what a contradiction this was and in fact how easy it is to share the load.  Sound familiar?  Are you guilty of this too?

Whilst admirable in your quest for success, clinging on tight to your workload isn’t sustainable in the long term as it can affect your health and other areas of your life.  Letting go of certain tasks will release you to work on more strategic and fundamental tasks leaving you time to focus on other key functions to grow your business.  The by-product of this is you'll secure more time doing what you love to do most in life.

Warning signs you aren’t delegating enough·            

• You’re feeling overwhelmed
• Unsure where to start with your never ending pile-high in-tray or to-do list
• Deadlines aren’t being met
• Working long hours - burning the candle at both ends
• You feel indispensable
• Your kids forget who you are
• Your partner no longer recognises you
• You've got a bed set up in your office
• You're exhausted

Delegating more effectively
When done correctly, delegation can be mutually beneficial for all concerned, however, it doesn’t mean everything should be delegated.  Successful delegation relies on choosing the appropriate tasks to delegate and to the right people.  To achieve successful delegation, below are some obvious tasks that you should consider for delegation.

Anything that can be completed more efficiently by someone else with the appropriate expertise:

1. Tasks you’re not good at (ie marketing, graphic design, social media)
2. Whole tasks or projects (ie moving office, social media schedule, product launch)
3. Time wasting tasks (ie checking emails and making appointments)
4. Routine or regularly occurring tasks (ie accounts)

Choosing the right team
Surrounding yourself with a competent team of support staff and / or contractors, with an attitude that aligns with you and your business, will ensure a win-win for all concerned as your team relish the opportunity of added responsibility and supporting your dream.  Put simply, delegate, delegate, delegate. 

Here are my top tips to get it right the first time:

1. Choose carefully who you delegate to, ensuring they are a good culture fit for not only you, but your business
2. Clearly articulate the desired outcome; begin with the end in mind being explicit with expectations
3. Be supportive and provide guidance
4. Trust the individual assigned to manage the task
5. Communicate regularly with the person who’s been delegated the task (without micro-managing), ensuring they know you’re available to them if required.  It goes without saying too, that you need to be kept in the loop if any concerns arise.

What not to delegate
If not done in the right way, delegating can at times create more work, as you could find yourself spending more time editing people's errors and resolving any misunderstandings.

This could result in you thinking delegation is not worth the effort, and you'll then find yourself back at square one.  So to avoid that scenario, below are some examples of what not to delegate:

• Managing crises
• Monitoring financial matters
• Vague projects / tasks without first knowing the desired outcome
• Staff matters (ie reprimand or praise)

Quick steps to get started on delegating today·            

• Set your priorities and decide what you’re wanting to achieve in the short and long term
• Track your time on various tasks to be aware of what you are spending the most time on
• Decide what and to whom you are going to delegate
• Decide the project’s timelines and if there’s any consequence if the work is not completed on time
• Delegate, delegate, delegate

Summary
In the beginning, delegation can seem overwhelming and possibly not worth the effort, however with effective delegation, you can expand immensely on the amount of work that you generate.

When your workload is being managed more efficiently, you will be able to spend more quality time on what’s important to you in your quest for success.
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To delegate effectively, choose the right tasks to delegate, identify the right people to delegate to, and delegate in the right way. There's a lot to this, but you'll achieve so much more with your business going from strength to strength once you're delegating effectively!