~by Haley Lynn Gray~
Knowing your limits can be tricky in the best of times. Figuring out delegating is an art that more people could learn. It’s not necessarily easier to start figuring out which tasks can and should be assigned to other team members. I am the quintessential problem child. I have piles of paper everywhere that belong to different companies and need to be handled all sorts of different ways. I also have endless piles of cookie paperwork that need to be done before the end of cookie season. Oh, and given that it’s March, it’s Tax Season – so time to get all of the tax paperwork together for various companies too. I’m hardheaded and I like to do things myself, of course. Because it’s easier that way.
Of course, it’s not really easier that way in the long run. Delegating is an art that needs to be mastered. You need to figure out what things you absolutely must do, and which things you can peel off. Some things might be routine paperwork that you spend hours doing. Chances are, if it’s routine, and repeatable, it might be easily delegated. There are a number of key questions you can ask to figure out what to delegate.
Which Tasks Can You Delegate?
- Make a list of the things you do each day, week, month.
- Which things do you have to do, and which do you do best?
- Which items can be done better by a teammate or subordinate?
- Is the task routine? Does it happen at the same time every week?
- Do you need to make any active decisions each time you do the task?
Think about all of the activities you do and figure out which ones you can peel off easily. What things can you give to someone else to make your job easier and better? At the end of the day, as you progress in your career, you’re going to have to delegate and to learn to work with others. Otherwise you will remain exactly where you are. Leadership is about leading others and having them follow. You aren’t exactly leading if it’s a team of One.
Which tasks do you delegate now? Which other ones can you delegate?
Meet the Author: Haley Lynn Gray
Haley helps female entrepreneurs create a strategy plan for their businesses – so they can make enough money to spend quality time with their family, pay for their children’s dance lessons, pay bills – and not worry about where the next client is coming from.
Haley is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Leadership Girl. She helps other entrepreneurs build their businesses by sharing the benefits of her business education and experience through Business Coaching.
Whether you want to get a new business off the ground or expand an existing business, Haley can assist you.
Connect with Haley:
- Work with Haley: https://leadershipgirl.com/work-with-haley/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Leadershipgirl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleygray