I’ve often talked about Effective Time Management in my blog posts, but if you are to free up more time for the things you want to do and need to do then one of the best methods is to learn to delegate.
In the office, if you are in a more senior position, it makes sense to pass on routine tasks that less well-paid members of staff could do. As a manager you should only do the jobs that nobody else in your department can do. This will be because you are the only person who has the authority or the skill to do them. The time this gives you will allow you to work on new projects; or give more attention to problems or opportunities that you face.
However, make sure you delegate jobs to competent people. Otherwise they will make mistakes and you’ll spend more time correcting them than doing the job yourself in the first place. Also, when you delegate a job check very carefully that the person understands what is expected of them. You might find you need to spend time training them to do a task the first time you delegate it, but once they understand what to do it will save you lots of time in the future.
You also need to demonstrate to staff how by delegating to them you are showing your trust in them and they are learning new skills. Otherwise, they may just feel resentful that you are passing on your work to them. And when they’ve done a good job, don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ and praise them. Good management skills are essential!
So what about at home? If you’re the one who always does the shopping on the way home from work, talk to your partner or other family members and discuss days when they could do it instead of you. Don’t be embarrassed – stand your ground and be firm. Have reasons ready to explain why it’s not convenient for you to do it every day. The same applies to all kinds of household tasks!
If you have children and they don’t help around the house, make their pocket money depend on doing chores. You don’t want to treat them like slaves, but it would be nice to delegate some of the tidying and cleaning to them, wouldn’t it? Plus, you could make the point that if you had a little more leisure time you’d be able to go places and do activities together as a family more often.
And if you have to take and pick up children from school or nursery, perhaps you could get a rota going where you share the responsibilities with other trusted parent. They pick up your child on Tuesdays and drop them off, but you pick up theirs on Thursdays. It saves you all time – but again you must be prepared to do your share or you’ll get a bad reputation.
As you can see, delegating has its dangers as well as its advantages. But if you do it well it can save you time and make your life easier. It’s all about getting other people to work properly for you without feeling that you’re dumping your responsibilities on them!
And before I leave you this month, I’d just like to mention that we are currently offering scholarship awards to selected students which will reduce the price of the Business English with Spoken English Diploma Course or the Advanced Business English Course by £50. So, if you are interested in improving your written English, your spoken English and your business skills, then check out this offer NOW!
Author: Diana Nadin
