Delegation is an important productivity tool and time management technique that is overlooked by some business leaders and managers. There are several common reasons why some people are reluctant to delegate. Those we hear most frequently are “it will never be done the way I would do it” (or, I like to be in control and worry it won’t be “perfect”), “it’s too expensive to pay someone else to do it”, or “in the time it takes me to show someone else how, I could just do it myself.” If you avoid delegating for any of these reasons, consider the following:

1. Done is almost always better than perfect! When you take time to identify the skills needed to get a task done, find the right person for the job, clarify what needs to be done and the results you expect and assign ownership to the person you’re delegating to, you delegate effectively. Then let go; don’t micromanage. Feel free to check in along the way once or twice to hear about progress, provide additional direction or clarification if needed, and to celebrate the end result. It may not get done exactly the same way you would have done it yourself, but if the end result is acheived, then it’s a win (because you “win” the time you freed up by not doing the task yourself). And it might even get done better or more efficiently by someone else. (No one is an expert at everything!)

2. It is not expensive to pay someone else a task if you can use the time you free up by delegating to bring in more revenue or increase your billable hours in your business. If the revenue you bring in, or your hourly bill rate exceeds what you’re paying to delegate a lower priority or administrative task, then it pays to delegate/outsource.

3. Think about the Return on Investment (ROI). You may invest time in training someone to do a task for you the first time, but then they will be able to perform that task for you every time it needs to be done, saving you time and money time and time again. Like other investments, taking the long term view – making a short term investment for a long term gain – pays worthwhile dividends in the long run.

In this short video, Debbie Rosement shares eight tips for effective delegation.

Could you or your employees use help improving your delegation skills? Often this can be best accomplished with group training, to establish a shared culture and approach for managers and employees. Effective delegation is one of the topics typically included in our productivity training workshops and Executive VIP training program.

Contact us to learn more about how we help employees, business leaders and organizations improve productivity, satisfaction and success with our business productivity consulting and training.