Delegate.  Delegate.  Delegate.  Delegate.  Intellectually we know that when we delegate a task – we free up time to work on our priorities.  However, deciding which tasks to delegate can be a challenge.

I thought I had a good handle on this.  Really!  I teach clients how to delegate tasks all day long.  Of course, I delegated effectively myself.  Right?  WRONG!

As I put myself back into the role of student in the Holistic Time Coaching course taught by Julie Gray and Denslow Brown I realized that I really had only scratched the surface!

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(By the way – this is the 3rd post in the series where I share my learning in the areas of time management.  Feel free to jump back and read the overview of my journey and my new awareness in the area of energy management. Stay tuned as I talk next time about delegation!)

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When determining which tasks to delegate, I had always looked at the tasks I WAS doing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.  I would then ask “Is my time best spent doing this task?” and “Am I the best person to be completing this task?”  If the answer was NO – I delegated.

However, this is NOT the only way (as I soon learned in class!)  The question was asked:

What tasks are currently NOT getting done?

Great question!  What are the tasks that continue to drain my energy – because they aren’t getting done?  I had never thought of it this way!

To create a NEW delegating plan – I followed the 3 step process of A.W.E. … and you can too!

  1. AWARENESS – ask yourself the question.  What are the tasks that are not getting done?  Create a list – feel free to add to over a period of a week or more.  Each time I entered a room, I’d notice a “little 15-minute home improvement job” and I added it to the list.  I pulled out my Project List, Big Picture To-Do List, and notes from some recent workshops I had attended,  reviewed the tasks, and added some to the Master Delegation List.
  2. WORK – look at each item on the list.  Can the tasks be grouped together? This will help when determining resources.  I realized I had a number of tasks that could be completed virtually, and a number of tasks that were small projects around the house.   Which tasks are most urgent?  Which tasks are most important?  Which tasks represent the biggest drain on  your energy?  As you answer these questions, you will start to determine which tasks you want to delegate.  Then delegate them!  For additional tips on HOW to delegate visit this blog post.
  3. EVALUATION – The secret sauce when it comes to productivity.  Schedule time in  your calendar to fine-tune your delegation plan.  Is the relationship with the person you delegated to working smoothly?  Which task would you like to delegate next?  Remember, if you don’t schedule time for this step, you are likely to overlook it.

Thanks to my new awareness from this class, I’ve delegated a number of tasks to my Virtual Assistant.  I also created a “Handy Man List” and a list to delegate to a high school student.  Now, I have additional time to work on the parts of my business that only I CAN DO!

Interested in more about planning to delegate?  Check back next week as I share some of my new learning about managing that to-do list!

Your turn!  How do you determine which tasks to delegate?

With a little coaching, you can easily find the balance between what YOU need to do and what you can outsource. You can develop a framework and a system that allows you to put first things first – and live a life of purpose, accomplishment, and fun. You can turn ideas into action!

(image credit: Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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