Getting Technical On You | What I'm Reading Today

It's no secret that I'm pretty much always looking into the future.

To the point where it probably isn't the greatest thing for me.

I am a self-diagnosed dreamer, who spends too much time with my head in the clouds, and my pen to the paper drawing up business plan and website design ideas.

I'm pretty sure it's an addiction.

As my twitter mentioned (@ordinaryshan), lately I've been going through all my delicious bookmarks, and reading the ones I've been meaning to read.

Today landed me on The Art of Delegating. Bingo

In my line of work, no two days ever look the same. I realize people say this often... but I really mean it (really). It could be invoicing, dealing with a company car accident, broken hot water tank, non-functioning server, office meetings, calming down an upset customer. At our place of work "there's never a dull moment" is our unofficial motto - and we love it that way. It makes the days go fast, and there is always something new to learn, no matter how long you've been there.

I have recently dove into the the Art of Delegating (even before coming across this article).

Needless to say, this article has come across at a pretty good time for me. And although the article is primarily geared towards hiring a VA (Virtual Assistant), it is appealing to me for two reasons. A) Any tool that can help me delegate to an assistant (virtual or not) is helpful to me in the workplace and B) I am considering embarking down this road myself (but in the form of completing the delegations). So all in all, today's read is a win-win situation.

The article does an incredible job of explaining the responsibilities of the worker/manager/person hiring the VA, and I get what they're saying. Too often people hire assistants (again, virtual or otherwise) thinking they are the save-all lifesavers. However, this is not usually how the life-saving works. Little to many managers/business owners/bosses realize, they have a huge impact on how efficient their assistants can be.

If, for whatever reason, you do not trust your assistant 100%, the relationship has a higher risk of crashing and burning. This is not to say that you have to disclose every little detail down to your passwords involving your mother's maiden name, you do have to disclose any and all information that will help them complete the tasks you are requesting.

Too often people assume that others know information that they simply do not, and will not know unless the information is provided to them.

Now before you A) start thinking this post is to technical and business-like or B) start thinking I'm going to go about acting like I am an expert, don't worry. I'm going to put what I learned in a bulleted list in the event that you are interested in learning more about delegating those tasks that you just don't have the time to complete.

Knowing how to properly delegate is not something that is limited to business owners, busy sales people or realtors, or retail managers. It can help mothers of teenagers get them to help out around the house, perfectionists to allow their husbands to clean the basement, or new fathers to be able to admit and ask for help when they need it.

Delegation one of those things we only see in business magazines or blogs, but can easily be carried over into everyday life scenarios.

Think you might benefit a little from lightening your work load (whatever it may be?). Try some of these tips to help you get started:
- Communicate what you are wanting to have done, prior to the work being done. This can help avoid miscommunication or assumptions, resulting in possible errors (and then discouraging you even further from getting assistance in the future).
- Brainstorm possible questions that the delegatee might come up with. By doing this, and writing down the answers in a clear and concise manner, you will prevent any further interruptions to your work day, but answering possible questions in advance.
- Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the people you are delegating tasks to. It is to your advantage to properly match up tasks with those who are equipped to complete those tasks, rather than trying to "make them better" by tossing them tasks that apply to their weaknesses. You may think you are doing them a favor now, but it will only make things difficult for both of you in the future.
- Understand that the time it takes to prepare for the tasks to be delegated is well worth it. I hear you, if it takes you 10 minutes to completed the task, but 12 minutes to write out the tasks for somebody else, why bother? I will tell you why. If you have perfected a task that takes you 10 minutes to complete, that is the fastest you will ever complete this task. The first time you train someone else to complete the task it may take 12 minutes of your time, plus 15 minutes of their time. Here's the important thing to remind yourself of - the next time they complete the task, it will most likely take less of your time, plus less of their time.

Learning to delegate is not all about instant time-savings. It is an investment and, as mentioned above, a skill to be learned. It will not come over-night, and it will not come without resistance.

Thanks again delicious, for allowing me to bookmark my interesting reads for me, and re-visiting them when I have a moment.

Thanks for allowing me to delegate my bookmarking management tasks to you.

[end-note, this entry is a part of our April Blogging Challenge for Literacy Awareness, interesting in joining along? It's not too late! All you have to do is let us know you are taking part, and post an article every day about something you've read. It not only encourages you to be mindful about what you are reading each day, but also provides encouragement to actually review and share your thoughts about what you consumed throughout the day]