Delegation is a great business strategy.
It can free up your time, ensure that key tasks get completed, and utilizes the best resources both in and outside your business.
But, it can only do all of these things if you are delegating the right tasks.
If you are holding on to things that really should be delegated or giving the wrong tasks to the wrong people, then you could actually end up creating more work for yourself!
Which is clearly the opposite effect of what you were trying to achieve in the first place.
So, let’s explore the concept of task delegation, how you can make sure you are doing it effectively, and how you can ensure the right tasks are off your plate.
Task Delegation: Are You Delegating The Wrong Things?
Task Delegation 101: What Should You Delegate?
If you are approaching the process of delegation for the first time, it can feel like an overwhelming job to choose which tasks to delegate. And even if you have been delegating for a while now, you might have accidentally missed some key jobs that really shouldn’t be on your desk.
So, you need to perform the first successful step of delegation. Choosing which tasks to delegate.
To choose those tasks follow the three simple rules:
- Tasks you don’t like (therefore procrastinate about)
- Things you don’t know how to do
- Time-consuming and repetitive tasks
You also need to make sure you are being ruthless when assembling your task delegation list. It can be tempting to keep some jobs because you enjoy them or because you have always completed them. But, by keeping those tasks, you could be obstructing other areas of your business that need your attention.
The Dangers Of Incorrect Task Delegation
Incorrect task delegation can have some negative consequences for yourself and your business. Some of the risks are:
- Wasted time and resources: If you are retaining jobs you shouldn’t or delegating to the wrong people then it could be a big old waste of everyone’s time! Of course, that completely defeats the idea of delegation in the first place!
- Poor results: If the wrong people are doing the wrong jobs, then you can’t hope to achieve an optimal output. This can impact the quality of the work and your team’s productivity.
- Opportunities missed: Sometimes it can be hard to let go of the tasks you have always done. But, if you are wasting your time doing tasks that could be handled by a VA, you could be missing opportunities for business growth or progression.
- Risk to client relationships: When the right tasks are delegated then your business can operate really efficiently, meaning nothing gets missed and everything is dealt with in a timely manner. When there are errors in the task delegation strategy, then it puts client relationships at risk. Interactions could accidentally be handled poorly or ineffective support could be given. This can lead to dissatisfaction, lost clients or complaints.
- Increased costs: Retaining time-consuming tasks or things outside your wheelhouse can increase costs to your business long term. Not delegating these can reduce the number of billable hours you have available. And if you do it wrong, you’ll have to pay someone like a VA to fix it. So, you may as well just delegate to a VA in the first place!
How To Know If You Are Delegating The Wrong Things
So, have you inadvertently delegated the wrong tasks or are you holding onto things you really shouldn’t be? These are some of the signs:
- Lack of efficiency: Are things taking a really long time to get done? Longer than they should? Then, chances are, there is a task in there that should be delegated or outsourced. Have a look at the process and work out what you can delegate or automate to make things run more efficiently.
- Bottlenecks: Do things grind to a halt in the same part of a process every time? This is what we call a bottleneck. If you can identify and remove the blockage (hopefully via a simple delegation), then things can flow smoothly again.
- Poor performance: Sometimes, tasks have been assigned to the wrong people or a task has evolved beyond the capabilities of the person looking after it. If you are getting poor results, look to see if you can delegate differently to make a more positive outcome.
- All the mistakes: If you find yourself consistently needing to revise or correct the same aspects over and over, then it’s time to delegate that task to someone with the expertise to get it right.
- Missed deadlines: Not meeting a deadline is a clear sign of someone having too much on their plate or giving priority to the wrong things. Either way, some effective delegation could clear up both of these issues.
- Frustration: Lacking enthusiasm about certain tasks, or getting overly frustrated when completing them? It could mean the demands of the task are too much, or the content of the task is totally out of alignment with how you want to work. No matter the reason, delegating to someone with the right expertise could fix the issue.
Who Can I Delegate To?
Nodding your head while reading the list of signs your task delegation might be missing the mark? Well, it’s time to do something about it. Sometimes, there will be someone on your team who is better suited to handle a specific task.
If you don’t have anyone like that, then a Virtual Assistant is usually your next port of call. With a wide range of administrative, creative and financial skills, a VA can significantly lighten your load and free up your team to focus on the more important aspects of your business.
And if you are looking for a superstar VA, then look no further than our squadron. At Admin Army, we wage war on all the admin and finance tasks you don’t have time to do. So, if you are worried you’ve currently got your task delegation wrong, book a time to chat with our team now.