The Art of Delegation: How to Free Up Your Time and Get More Done

Most internet searches for “delegation” result in articles designated for managers and employers. While this skill, of course, has its benefits in a business context, delegation is a useful tool for freeing up time in any area of life. Today, we’ll look at delegation in a general context so you can effectively use it at work, home, hobby clubs, spiritual organizations, and anywhere else you may find it useful.

Benefits of Delegation

 

It can be hard for some people to let go and accept help for numerous reasons. However, you’ll find that delegation of tasks has benefits that far outweigh the undesired feelings that may come at first. Some of these benefits include:

• Saving time

• Building your own and others’ skillsets

• Preparing others to handle tasks independently in the future

• Increasing motivation

• Improving relationships

Tips for Successful Delegation

 

Successful delegation requires finesse and good communication. To delegate tasks properly, consider the following tips:

• Communicate your overall goals clearly.

• Allow for team member feedback.

• Play on individual strengths.

• Establish a clear channel for subsequent communication.

• Be patient and accept that mistakes will be made.

• Monitor progress and make changes as needed.

Communicating Effectively

Delegation can come across as authoritarian or laziness if not used properly. The first thing to keep in mind is your tone of voice and the words you use. Present the reason for delegation in a neutral tone and explain it in terms of how it provides mutual benefits to everyone. For example, instead of saying “We all live here. We’re each going to do our fair share.,” say “We can all be happier if everyone pitches in on chores.”

 

Second, clarity in delegation is essential. If you don’t clearly define the tasks, there is a good chance that things will be missed or completed improperly, causing even more work in the end. For example, instead of just saying “You’re in charge of the equipment.,” you should make a list of what equipment is needed and instructions for how to prepare it.

Using Strengths

Determining each other’s strengths requires input from at least two people; the individual and the person delegating the task. It’s always important to ask a person about their strengths. They may have skills and training you were unaware of. In addition, you’ll also want to take your own observations into account. Based on what you come up with together, you can mutually determine which task would be best suited for their skills and needs.

Utilizing Feedback and Shortcomings

When you first delegate tasks, it’s important to listen to the concerns of the people you’re delegating to. Remember that just because something doesn’t seem important to you, it doesn’t mean it’s not important to someone else. Take this opportunity to address fears, offer advice, and work together on a game plan for success.

 

You should also determine a process for monitoring progress. For instance, you could schedule routine meetings to discuss what’s working and what isn’t. Create an atmosphere that encourages open communication and supports one another through the learning curves. In some cases, you could also use certain outcomes to monitor progress, such as sales, time spent, etc.

When to Use Delegation

Delegation isn’t necessary in every task. If the task is simple and there’s no harm in completing it yourself, then there’s no need to force delegation just for the sake of doing it. However, there are some factors to consider when deciding if you should delegate a task, including:

• Personal stress caused by taking on the task yourself

• Preparing others to take your place

• Opportunity for skill development

• Equality in time and effort

• Current abilities of yourself and others

• Benefits to others

References

 

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-delegate-effectively

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eliamdur/2022/11/08/delegating-part-ii-seven-benefits-of-delegating/?sh=29118d377d55

 

https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-communicate-clear-specific-instructions

 

Simple Habits for Staying Organized

Getting organized is one thing, staying organized is another challenge altogether. If you want to stay in control of your life, you need to form a few simple habits to change the way you think about your ‘stuff.’

 

Here are seven easy ways to stay organized.

 

Make the Bed

 

Making your bed every day is a small but easily overlooked task that will make you feel instantly more organized and your bedroom look neat. Whatever else happens in your day, at least you’ve made your bed.

 

Clean Up the Kitchen and Straighten the House

 

Do the dishes, clean up the kitchen and do a quick tidy of the living areas of your home each evening, and you will finish the day with the right mindset for keeping the rest of your life organized.

 

Stay on Task

 

Finish one task before you start the next one. Multitasking is overrated and wastes your energy. By trying to do too much at once, you risk getting exhausted and never actually finishing anything. Focusing on one thing at a time will keep you calm, and soon you’ll have a bunch of checks on your to-do list. 

 

Use Your Downtime

 

Add up all those minutes of waiting during your day, and you have quite a lot of time when you just hang around. Whether it’s waiting for the coffee maker to brew or the washer to go on spin cycle, you can use this time to do little tasks like empty or load the dishwasher, wipe down the counters or sort through the mail.

 

Keep Synched

 

Make sure your family’s smartphones and devices talk to one another and that calendars are kept synced. You will not miss appointments, and everyone will know what’s happening and what’s coming up. 

 

Stay On Top of Emails

 

Schedule part of your day to deal with emails, so your inbox doesn’t get out of control. Aim for zero email by the end of the day by using filters and tagging, and don’t procrastinate, just respond to emails straight away. 

 

Stay On Top of Paperwork

 

Work out a system to deal with the tide of papers that come into your home and stick to it. Action, scan and file important papers, and throw away or recycle hard copies. Make dealing with paperwork part of your evening tidy up, and you will never have piles of unsorted papers again.

5 Tips for Increased Productivity While Working Remotely

Different studies indicate that remote workers are highly productive. What makes them get more done sitting at home, the diner, or the library? They understand that being productive outside of the typical office environment requires proactive steps. They don’t have their manager physically checking in to ensure they are getting their work done.

 

If you can work offsite, such as at home, you will quickly learn that staying productive is hard. You will have distractions around you, like that stack of dirty dishes from last night that is still sitting in the sink.

 

How You Can Increase Your Productivity While Working Remotely

 

All the productivity hacks in the world will not work if you don’t implement them. Here are five action steps you can take to not only maintain your productivity but also increase it: 

 

Establish Priorities: Start by discussing things with your manager. You might believe completing a specific responsibility is the most important, but your boss thinks differently. Once you know what is expected, then you can be sure to accomplish it.

 

Determine Your Best Work Time: This goes with the night-owl versus morning person premise. Working remotely means you have greater flexibility. If you focus better at 8 PM when your toddler is in bed, do it. It is the same idea for morning lovers. You don’t have to wait until 9 AM to get started. The goal is to find large blocks of quiet time for those projects that require concentration.

 

Set a Timer and Do Deep Work: It will be much easier if you set a timer for 45 minutes and focus on one task. After the timer goes off, get up and walk around the house, grab some water, and stretch for 15 minutes. 

 

Set Boundaries: If you have others in the house when you work, you will continually get interrupted. Start by setting physical boundaries, such as working from a different room or putting up a room partition around your desk area. Next, talk with your partner and family about how important it is not to disrupt you when you are “at work.”

 

Overcommunicate: It may seem counter-intuitive to spend extra time communicating when sending both emails and Slack messages, but the text can be misconstrued. This causes frustration and may slow the progress of a project. Ensure you continually communicate with your team and set up video calls to clear up any miscommunication.

 

Wow your teammates and your manager when you take productivity to a new level. Soon, you will be the star of the show and enjoy all the perks of working remotely.