From the course: How to Work Smarter, Not Harder: Save Time and Money and Increase Productivity
Delegate like a boss
From the course: How to Work Smarter, Not Harder: Save Time and Money and Increase Productivity
Delegate like a boss
- Being a good business owner and leader involves delegating tasks to employees and often to remote teams. While delegating and releasing control is challenging for many, it could be essential for maximizing productivity and keeping your stress down during large projects and tight deadlines. Delegating tasks takes trust, patience, communication, and structure. So here are a few tips to help master the art of delegation. First and most important is to communicate. To ensure peace of mind and success when passing off a task, it is so important to communicate clearly. I like to use a shared Google folder and Google document to outline my needs, vision, desired timeline, and any specific copy to use, imagery, etc. This folder and document could then be shared with the project manager, with all the guidelines and specifics that are expected of them. Most people do make the mistake of assuming that someone just knows what they're talking about and how, and when they want it done. Well, not communicating clearly only leaves more room for error and for wasted time. And that leads me to my next tip. Don't assume, instead, manage expectations and be thorough. Ask follow-up questions to ensure that you have explained the tasks clearly, and that the other party is in agreement and on the same page to achieve the end goal. Before ending any phone call where I'm delegating a new task, my final question is always, do you have any more questions for me? Managing expectations and open communication will help to avoid future disappointments or setbacks, especially when delegating tasks to others. Next is to remember to inspire their commitment. When people lack understanding about why something matters and where their ability is needed, they are less likely to really show up. People get excited about what's possible and step up to the task when they are motivated in their role to make it happen. It's all about collaboration. Your direction and encouragement and their ability to achieve this together will create an inspired working dynamic and mutual win to complete the end goal. The best leaders don't micromanage, instead schedule check-ins to ensure accountability and that progress is being made. There's no point in passing off a task and spending all your time managing or overdirecting their every move. So stay involved with set check-ins and provide constructive feedback when necessary to help them complete the task. Evaluate within your operation where it makes sense for you to delegate elsewhere, and let technology help you delegate and collaborate more efficiently. If you're a fan of making lists, then Todoist or Trello could be great for you. You can create an unlimited number of boards and checklists for your team or remote teams, which are great for managing multiple projects at one time. And whether you're a small team or a large company, tools like Trello help increase productivity and accountability. And lastly, interns are an excellent partner to delegate work to. I'm a huge advocate for training and working with interns. In finance, hospitality, entertainment, or retail, there are interns looking for experience in every industry. Intern today are Gen Zers and millennial cuspers who are true digital natives that grew up with the internet. And most likely, they may be able to teach you a thing or two when it comes to some of those techie tools. They can be very resourceful if you're delegating creative tasks, like blogging, video, or photography, or posting on social media versus just asking them to get your coffee. Taking the time to train interns could be a great pipeline strategy for future employees or even freelancers. Over the past several years, many of my interns have become so great at what they do that they've become independent contractors for me. It may be time to loosen the reins and delegate to help you work smarter, not harder. While it may feel uncomfortable in the beginning, it could help to streamline tasks and increase efficiency overall.
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