3 Ways to Know that You Need to Delegate a Task

Delegating sounds much easier than than it is. When it comes time to actually assign the task, the anxiety starts to set in.

Delegate to whom? What happens if that person can't handle the task? What if they don't do it as well as I could? How could this impact me long term?

These are all very valid concerns that deserve our attention, but with the proper steps, we can put that anxiety to rest.

Here are three signs that sign a task is ready to be delegated:

1. You've Gotten the Reps - You've done this task multiple times yourself and have confidence that the task does not require decision making or subject-matter expertise.

2. You're No Expert - What about tasks you need to do but are not able to get reps in? Hand it off to an expert to do 5x faster than you. Would you rather spend weeks learning Final Cut Pro and editing a video or go on Fiverr and pay someone pennies on the dollar to do the same thing in a quarter of the time?

3. It's taking away from what you're good at - Every minute you're spending learning a new skillset to accomplish a one-time task, you are taking away from things you're actually an expert in. Time is money and in most cases, time makes money, so use it wisely.

You're the Boss

If you're still scared to begin delegating, just remember - it's not over until the fat lady sings (in this metaphor, you're the fat lady).

Almost every task can be reviewed before you need to submit it for its final approval. Make sure that you've carved out enough time in your process to bake in at least two revisions of the work before considering it "final."

The Time is Now

Now think about that daunting to-do list of yours, and identify any that meet our delegation criteria. Once you're ready to start dishing out assignments, don't worry if there's no one else in your organization who can take on the work. You can always leverage tools like Fiverr and Upwork to find amazing talent on a small budget.

Once the items are off your list, you'll be amazed at how much easier everything else becomes.

#delegation #organization