Stumble It!
What to Do and What to Delegate
One of the things I what you to learn and you need to learn to be successful in business is how to delegate. There are certain tasks that you absolutely shouldn’t waste your time on, and there are many qualified people out there who are more than capable of handling these tasks for you.
Below, I’m going to share with you how I have learned to delegate in a very systematic way.
One of my goals in life is to create multiple businesses, all of which need to be highly profitable, relatively easy to run, and require very little effort on my part after the initial work has been set up and done.
One of your goals should also be to learn how to become a master delegator. This doesn’t mean that you delegate everything. However, you will need to delegate everything that you’re not an expert in, than train others to do what you are already an expert in.
Here’s how that relates to your book writing and marketing business:
Delegate everything that you’re not an expert in.
Manage your projects carefully and fire any vendors who aren’t living up to their word.
Make it a habit to chart out all the details of each project. One that chart write out the project name on the top of the page. Down the left hand side, write out the details of the project and a few notes about each detail like who’s responsible for getting it accomplished and a deadline to having it done.
The form below is an Accountability Sheet for your use.
Feel free to copy it and use it to systematically keep track of your projects.
Use it for every person on your team. Have one copy for you and one for them. Review them daily or at least weekly.
If you’re working with Virtual Assistance, you can email this form to them and have them email it back to you on a regularly scheduled basis.
Click here to download a reprintable, larger Action Step Chart.
March 29th, 2008 at 4:32 am
One of the major obstacles I found in delegation is my reluctance to let go and trust people.
The other major obstacle is inertia - it takes effort and time to learn how to delegate and actually delegating.
You cleared it up for me in just a few words - you are the best…
March 29th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Time… the biggest challenge we all face. Funny thing is, we’ve all probably heard this before, but never done anything about it.
It’s the simple things that help you make more money. I’ve downloaded and will begin applying your advice today.
Many thanks.
March 29th, 2008 at 10:43 am
At last a systematic way to track and decide this critical issue.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Thanks for the clarity of detail to building a large internet business but within my small, home based, internet business. Coming from the corporate world where there’s people to delegate to, the information here helps me learn how to manage my business in a much different but sensible way. Much appreciate the information provided here.
April 30th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I’m also useless at delegating. I tend to worry when things are taken out of my hands and have sleepless nights that things won’t be done properly (partly because they often aren’t - but maybe that is down to my inability to communicate my needs?). Thanks for the Action Step chart.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:26 am
This is an interesting way to apply something that I had to use in team meetings when I worked for an organization. We had a list of tasks and responsibilities and when they were due. I hadn’t thought of using it for things that I think of as all “my” responsibility though. There are people out there who can do some of these things for me, so I just need to put it on a chart and let them do it!
May 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Excellent advice there, Chris. I too find it hard to hand over stuff to others. Of course I find that more and more I’m spreading myself too things trying to accomplish too much at once. Things get done with a bit here and a bit there but it feels like nothing gets done to completion satisfactorily.
I then wonder why nothing seems to be moving ahead as much as I’d like it to be but can see now that I’ve read this! Thanks very much for the action sheet, that’s helpful.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Trust is a big issue when it comes to delegation. After all if it is your business you are the one who can be affected by the outcome of that delegation. Although it is very important or you may not get things done. You have to make sure that you work with someone who has your best interests at heart.
It is great to have a list of things that need to be done and when they are due this helps a great deal. Learning from companies you have worked for in the past is great, afterall that is the idea of working to learn and not just about making money.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I think this is an issue a lot of people have trouble with. It’s mainly because they are control freaks and want everything done their way. One should realize that this can still be done by giving proper instructions and finding the right people to do your job. Delegating is a very important skill to have and can ease your life from stress significantly. You should also know what tasks to delegate. Try delegating repetitive tasks that do not require much creativity from the other party as this makes it simpler for both of you.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:08 am
Many of us are wary of delegating after we have had someone fall down on the job. I know that often we fall into the trap of thinking that it is just easier to do it ourselves. It is hard for me to let go of something, if someone has already dropped the ball in that area.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Most people that choose to do things themselves think they are protecting their work because they think if they let someone else do it they will mess up and ruin all their hard work. This requires a skill of proper communication and the ability to manage people and tasks. It can do wonders for you and remove a lot of unnecessary stress.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I think it’s true that we tend to believe that only we can do whatever task it is. But often someone else “could” do it if we could explain exactly what the result is supposed to be. Imagine you are training a new employee to take over your job — you need to give him all the instructions he needs to do the tasks correctly. They might not be done exactly the way you would have done them, but as long as they are acceptably done that shouldn’t matter in the long run.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I guess that means that those of us with the “It’s my way or the highway!” attititude are going to have to shake it off and get with the program if we want to get serious about this stuff.
Seriously, You are right. And it means acknowledging that we aren’t always best at everything. We DO all have our limitations.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 am
I agree that its easier to delegate something that we don’t really expert in, rather than study about it from the beginning. That will require more time to spend. But its not really easy to choose the expert to do it. Sometimes they can’t work together or asking a high price. So we must choose the expert that we trust.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
That’s true, bluet, but how do you go about choosing an expert you can trust? That’s what we really need to know. There’s so many agencies and freelancers out there!
What’s the best route to picking a good one without having to waste time and money on people who either rip you off or don’t deliver as promised?
June 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Drizzle, you just hit the nail on the head! I was thinking about how hard it is to delegate when you have already had someone drop the ball or literally throw it away. I too would like to know how to find someone you can trust and who is an expert.