As a leader, your success depends on making smart decisions: From what you say, to what you do, to how you delegate and use resources. Granted, in this do-more-with-less culture, leaders often have fewer resources, limiting their ability to delegate work. But leaders who don’t delegate pay a high cost: an inability to manage.
Stress and anxiety are infectious. They spread from the leader’s desk to the staff, and set the entire organization on edge. Conditions around the team worsen as attitudes, engagement, efficiency and profitability degrade.
Delegation is a strategic tool used by wise leaders to make the most of available manpower to clear tough obstacles. Unfortunately, many leaders view delegation as a sign of weakness, an inability to handle the job, something done out of desperation. Learning to delegate offers leaders relief and equips them to manage at their best, which is ultimately best for everyone.
Categorize and Prioritize
The baffling issue may be where to begin. Start with work that you can see. This is often times the most overwhelming, as it’s a constant reminder. The first step is to categorize and separate it into two groups: one that cannot be delegated and another that can. As a leader, you certainly have assignments or tasks that must be handled at your level with your experience, connections or authority.
Some of it may be busywork, manual-type of work, revising work that has already been done or tasks that can be done with the experience and skills of a staff member. This is the group of tasks that are candidates for delegation. Will it take a sizeable investment of your time to sort through your piles to make these determinations? Of course, but you will find the investment well worth making.
Workload priorities must also be taken into account. As Jayson DeMers, CEO of AudienceBloom writes in an article for Inc.com, develop a priority system for tasks. What is essential and what can wait? Delegating hotter projects may give you enough time to catch your breath and resume a more normal routine sooner than you think. Another tactic is delegating simpler, quick work and allow yourself to tackle the more complex with better focus.
Finally, consider your annual work flow. If there is some predictability to periods of higher expected workload, it pays to make other staff members available for delegated tasks based on a calendar. Plan for those before the pressure hits.
What other ways do you categorize and prioritize your responsibilities? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here, or on LinkedIn.
