DELEGATE IT! SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITIES HELPS GET MORE

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

For a variety of reasons, it is extremely important for many people to do everything themselves. But practice shows that it is much more effective to work together: this way you can save personal time and achieve better results. Whatever responsibilities you face in your work and life, the only sure way to overcome the inaccessible mountains is to arm yourself with support.

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In time management (the practice of time management) there is such a tool - the "Eisenhower matrix", or "priority matrix". It is based on the principle of assigning cases according to their importance and urgency. According to these two criteria, all tasks can be divided into four categories:

1. IMPORTANT AND URGENT MATTERS

Ideally, this column should be nearly empty. An emergency is an indicator that you have organized the routine incorrectly. Until this affects mental and physical health, it's time to rebuild your regime. And if at work you have to constantly resolve crisis situations, it is especially important to balance professional stress with equally vivid but pleasant impressions in the rest of your life.

2. IMPORTANT BUT NOT VERY URGENT

This graph requires timely action and careful planning so that cases from it do not start spilling over into the first category. Everything that is especially interesting and relevant to you is stored here, but to which your hands may not reach in any way due to the abundance of tasks in paragraph 1.

3. NOT IMPORTANT BUT URGENT

Cases from this column unexpectedly disrupt the orderly routine and take up time and energy. It is at this stage that you should think about who to entrust computer repairs, who to send to make one hundred photocopies of the booklet, who can take the suit from the dry cleaner instead of you, etc.

4. NOT IMPORTANT AND NOT URGENT

Ideological careerists call this category "time eaters" - it's all that a person does to distract himself from work. If you prioritize personal efficiency, this is the time to get rid of this column. But for mental balance, it is still important to leave some of your personal time for entertainment, family, household chores, or at least rest in silence.

The Eisenhower Matrix clearly demonstrates your organization. If in any of the categories there is a mess, which does not have enough time and energy to rake, it is time to take on the third category of tasks. Maybe there is a chance to hire an assistant or ask for help from someone you know?

THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS

The most obvious situation for delegation is people management. A one-man business for clients and partners is not so much a cause for admiration for your hard work as a potential risk. It sounds cynical, but an entrepreneur must keep in mind the scenario of a "fallen brick": if tomorrow due to unforeseen circumstances you have to fall out of the process, will someone keep your business afloat?

A leader who relies only on himself in everything is like the Hare from Aesop's fable: he worries and fusses, tries to do everything at once. If you ask him if he has a free minute, he will almost always answer: "I'm busy." Such a manager underestimates the importance of the distribution of responsibilities and therefore drowns in work around the clock.

The metaphor for Aesop's more successful leadership option will be the Hare's rival, the leisurely Turtle. This leadership style involves method, step-by-step work, and the use of collective intelligence. Such a manager takes into account the strengths and interests of his team. He knows how to unleash the potential of each employee, so that together they take the business to the next level. It takes trust and courage, but it’s far more rewarding than trying to do everything perfectly alone.

In modern business consulting, a team is considered to be a reflection of the mindset of its leader. Therefore, more and more emphasis is being placed on conducting mentoring programs, on mutual assistance and sharing of responsibilities. When employees see that you value their merits and are ready to provide support, they achieve much more - which means that the company as a whole improves performance.

WHO TO ASSIGN URGENT BUSINESS

When considering a candidate for an assistant, keep in mind the prospects for his development. The more functions you can transfer to an effective assistant in the future, the more time you will have to complete those not urgent, but important tasks: planning business development, establishing strategic partnerships (or organizing the perfect birthday for a child).

• Look for not only executive but also proactive employees.
• Explore the potential of your subordinates and colleagues, inspire them for professional and personal development.
• Start with small assignments and give your assistants the opportunity to express themselves without your intervention.
• Give others the freedom to choose and learn to trust them, even if it can lead to failure at first.

WHY DO YOU NEED TRUST?

Many people not only do not know how to delegate their tasks, but also desperately try to control everything and everyone around, leaving no room for accidents and disruption of plans. Such people rely only on themselves in everything and carefully monitor how their employees or even family members cope with the smallest assignments. Such a tendency to overcontrol results in the fact that such a person is completely unsettled by any circumstances that he cannot influence.

Look at the situation and at yourself in it more broadly. If you make decisions on your own, they are always subjective, and finding the right path for your company or family is possible only by taking into account different opinions, even conflicting, inappropriate, and ridiculous ones. In order not to remain in a closed system where there is no place for development and creativity, participate in discussions, ask for advice, arrange brainstorms and polls. You will see for yourself how someone else's opinion enriches your point of view.

The fear of being let down is understandable. But if you wait for a catch even in everyday life situations and force others to live according to the scenario you have set, it can hurt them. Remember the ancient truth: your freedom ends where the freedom of another person begins. The first step to a more trusting relationship is to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself in a situation where nothing depends on you. If you can experience firsthand that life does not collapse when you let go of the reins, this will be the first milestone on the path to changing personal attitudes.

The more things you can delegate to other people, the more time you will have for your own life. Your coworkers and coworkers need to see that your life is not about work. After all, the company pays your salary not for fatigue and chronic stress, but for your ability to work, for ideas and skills.

You can express yourself effectively only when there is a place for hobbies, joys, and rest in your life. Save those precious minutes that you spend with family and friends. Do more often what nourishes you and recharges you with new strength - these are the things that help you to remain yourself. And these pleasant little things in life should definitely not be delegated to anyone else.