Work Smarter, Not Harder: Delegate [7P Productions]

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Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment … seeming to do is not doing.
- Thomas Edison

Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama. They are all from different worlds, but what do each of them have in common? Other than being very influential, they all have only 24 hours in a day. So do the rest of us.

In order to become more effective, sometimes putting in more time is not an option. One of the ways of working smarter rather than harder is to rely on delegating.

No Person Is an Island
The notion of having one or more assistants seem to be only for the rich and powerful. In The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferris popularized the notion of using assistants through virtual assistants. These are people who typically are at remote locations and help with small tasks such as making travel arrangements or formatting a Powerpoint presentation.

The key here is that delegating tasks is recommended, either because there are other specialists who can do it better or simply because it buys us more time to do other important things. This logic contradicts the notions of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps”, “success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”, and “if you want a job done right, do it yourself.” Did Bill Gates program every line of code in Windows? He may have been very capable of doing that, but he only had 24 hours in a day. So do the rest of us.

If you’re like most people, you’re probably tapped out and don’t have the ability to add another 2-3 hours of more work in your day. So if you want your success to grow, delegating is not an option, but a necessity. You are likely doing some form of delegating already, so the key is to actively use delegating as a strategy and to do it in a way that can be consistent and sustainable.

A Guideline for Delegating
Sometimes people choose not to delegate because they had bad experiences in the past. There is always the chance of things not working out when a task is delegated, but it’s necessary if you want to scale your success. If you’ve been burned before by delegating, make a conscientious effort in figuring out what approach works best for you. Here are some guidelines to remember:

1. Have clear deliverables: Poor communication may be the biggest problem with delegating tasks. Be explicit with the deliverables, and use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) as a guideline for this.
2. Make sure there’s a good match with the delegated task: It’s no fun for anyone if you delegate a task to someone where there isn’t a good fit.
3. Do not micromanage: Focus on the deliverables, not on how it gets there.
4. Let the person know the big picture: Sometimes there needs to be improvisation made when something unexpected happens. It’ll work out if the person has a good idea of the big picture.
5. Make yourself available: Did I mention that poor communication may be the biggest problem? Be accessible in case of any questions or concerns.
6. Be consistent: Plan to use the person as a regular resource so that the learning curve is smaller in the future.
7. Be supportive: Provide the person everything needed (time, tools, information) to succeed.

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Original post here: Al at 7P

28 February 2008 | Planning, Use What Works in Theory, delegate, pursuit | Comments