Learning to delegate: 3 helpful strategies

Delegating can help you free up valuable time and energy, allowing you to focus on critical tasks and boost your productivity. Here are 3 suggestions to help you learn to delegate more effectively.

It can be difficult for a busy professional to admit that they are unable (or unwilling) to do everything and anything required. For example, many entrepreneurs are accustomed to performing all business functions and take their involvement in every aspect of the business as a point of pride.

In order to successfully delegate to others, you first must learn to let go. Acknowledge that there will always be tasks that are outside your area of expertise and accept that you cannot or should not perform them yourself. With this mindset, decide which tasks can easily be let go. When you let go of the reins and let others in, you may be surprised by the positive results.

Micromanagement is the quickest way to kill even the most noble of delegation plans. Be sure that the tasks you are delegating match your colleague's available time and skill set. If there is not a perfect match, remember to adjust your expectations.

When delegating, you will often find that getting the task done is much more important than having it executed perfectly. Be realistic about what you expect and when you expect it, and you will reduce disappointment and stress throughout the process. Remember that you are delegating the task because you are unable to perform it yourself.

Ideally, delegation is not a one-time event. In order to do your job effectively and productively, you likely need to hand off tasks or even entire areas of your work on a permanent basis. The best way to do that is to develop a long-term relationship with a trusted associate.

Whether the person you delegate to is a contractor, a friend or an existing employee, ask yourself how you can help them develop the skills they need to effectively perform the task now and in the future. Focus on building a communicative and trusting long-term relationship. This will allow you to trust the work and give the other party a chance to develop skills and gain responsibility over time.

Delegation is without doubt one of the best ways to boost productivity!