You know those managers who look like they have it all together? Their business is growing, they give back to their community and they still make it to all of little Timmy’s soccer games.
You could envy those folks. You could be annoyed by them. You could sigh wistfully and wish you were more like them. But the best thing you could do is learn from them. Lucky for you, we know their secret. 🤫
They can do it all because they don’t try to do it all. They’ve mastered the art of delegation. Someone else handles the minor-but-important tasks that keep things running, freeing up the manager’s time to focus on the big things in their work and their personal life.
Fill your cup and get comfortable, because we’re about to teach you how to delegate like them.
💡 Is delegation the weak spot in your execution, or is it something else? Take the Diagnose the CEO quiz to find out! 💡
DELEGATE TO THE RIGHT PERSON
Delegation is a lot less scary when you’re confident in the person taking things off your plate. When you’re looking for the right person to support you, look for these qualities:
Great communicator – you can relax because you always feel in the loop
Super organised – you want someone who excels at keeping their ducks in a row
Solution oriented – look for a proactive assistant who can manage priorities and solve problems on the fly
Experienced in the task at hand – the learning curve will be shorter and your confidence will be higher if they already know how to do the job
Tech savvy – choose someone who knows how to use the software and apps that keep your company running
🦄 Not sure where to find one of these unicorns? We know more than 60 of them. Give us a shout. 🦄
DECIDE WHAT TO DELEGATE
There really are some things only you can manage. Other things will run just fine without you. The trick is figuring out which is which. Here’s how to do it, step by step.
MAKE A LIST
Write down all the tasks, actions and interactions you usually perform. Include the things that are part of your job description, the things that are not and all the little things you do to help out other people on your team.
Put an asterisk next to anything on the list that’s quite honestly a waste of your time.
Run through the list again. This time add an asterisk to anything that distracts you from your main objectives or makes you less effective.
Highlight the things you would spend more time on if you could.
Switch to a different colored font. In the new color, add to the list any tasks you know you should do but don’t because you don’t have time.
RANK YOUR TASKS
Now that you’ve got your list, draw a four-square matrix. Label the X axis Urgent/Not Urgent and the Y axis Important/Not Important. It should look like this.
Paste all the tasks from your list into the matrix. Now here’s what to do with those quadrants.
Urgent + Important: DO
The tasks in this quadrant are your highest priorities. Assign them to the person who can do them best (that’s probably you) and do them first.
Not Urgent + Important: DECIDE
Decide when you will make time for these tasks. Schedule the time on your calendar so you don’t forget.
Urgent + Not Important: DELEGATE
There are probably a lot of asterisks in this quadrant. These are the things that have to get done – but not by you. Delegate them to someone else so you can focus on the north side of the matrix.
Not Urgent + Not Important: DELETE
The tasks in this quadrant are literally a waste of time. This busywork tends to creep into every business’s processes; be ruthless about pruning it out.
HOW TO DELEGATE EFFECTIVELY
Even with a capable person in place and a list of things you know should be off your plate, delegating might still make you a bit nervous. We have one more trick up our sleeve to give you and your assistant the best chance at success. 🪄
The better you are at communicating your expectations, the better your results will be. Before they begin the task, make sure your assistant is clear on the task’s purpose, the desired outcome, any specific actions you want them to take or avoid, and the timeline.
Then: take a deep breath and let go. Resist the urge to check in on them. Fight the impulse to pop in and handle things you’ve already delegated. 😮💨 Instead, go back to your task list and focus on those things you’ve been wanting to do but never had enough time for.
So how do you follow up on your assistant’s progress? First, make a list of delegated tasks in a communication platform you and your assistant both have access to. This is your Delegation Stack.
You and your assistant should have a regular check-in via phone or video. During that call, talk about the things in the Delegation Stack. Follow up on any deadlines and help them navigate any roadblocks they’ve encountered.
And just like that, the things that used to eat up all your time take just minutes of your day. Now you can focus your energy on the big things that move your business forward – and still make it to Timmy’s soccer game.
Ready to get your time back? Check out our virtual executive assistance packages and see what busy professionals just like you have to say about them.
