How to delegate scheduling effectively

Tom Peng

It’s a dilemma that has affected businesses for centuries. You want to grow your business and take on new clients but there are only so many hours in a day. How can you expand if you are barely keeping your head above the water with everything you currently have to do?

There’s an answer - delegation. For some leaders and entrepreneurs, it can be hard to give duties to employees when you’ve grown the business or made a particular task your own. However, harnessing the power of your employees can free up your schedule, allow you to focus on important things, such as decision-making, and achieve your ultimate goal of business success.

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Identify what can be delegated

When it comes to delegating tasks, it's important to carefully consider which ones you can actually pass off to someone else. This involves taking a look at the importance and complexity of each task on your plate. Some things are just too crucial to your business and can't be delegated, but others might be time-consuming and not necessarily crucial to your role as a leader or entrepreneur.

A good tip to start getting organized is to make a list of all your current responsibilities and categorize them as high, medium or low. This will help you figure out which tasks you can delegate. You should also think about the skills and abilities of your team when deciding what to delegate. If someone on your team is especially good at something, it might make sense to give them a task in that area.

It's important to remember that delegation isn't just about getting rid of tasks you don't like. It's about finding the right balance of responsibilities and empowering your team to take on new challenges. When you delegate tasks that are a good fit for your team's skills and abilities, it can lead to a sense of ownership, increased job satisfaction and better results.

Choosing the right person 

Finding the right person for the task is going to be crucial to your business’ success. After all, if you delegate a task to someone who isn't equipped to handle it, you’ll be left feeling frustrated, likely get poor results and possibly add unnecessary stress to your employee. So how do you determine who is the best fit for a delegated task?

One best practice is to consider the skills and abilities of your team members. Do you have someone who is particularly organized and detail-oriented? They might be a good fit for a scheduling task. Do you have someone who is a strong communicator and able to handle multiple tasks at once? They might be a great fit for a task that requires frequently talking to clients and juggling accounts. Chat with your team one-to-one and find out where their strengths lie.

It's also important to consider the capacity of your team members. If someone is already stretched thin with their current responsibilities, it might not be the best time to delegate a new task to them. It's important to find a balance and ensure that your team has the bandwidth to take on additional duties. Audit what they do before assigning new tasks and avoid employee overload. 

When it comes to delegation, it's important to be clear and upfront about your expectations. Make sure to set clear goals and deadlines for the task and provide the necessary resources and support to ensure success. And don't be afraid to check in regularly and offer feedback to help your team members succeed in their new responsibilities.

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Communicate your expectations

So how do you tell your employees what your expectations are? Without proper communication, it can be difficult for your team members to know exactly what is expected of them and how to effectively complete the delegated task.

It’s best to start simple and set clear goals and deadlines for what you want them to achieve. This will help ensure that your team member knows exactly what needs to be accomplished and by when. It's also important you give them everything they need to succeed. This might include things like access to certain tools or training on new software. If they don’t have the tools they need, you can’t expect them to deliver what you want. 

In addition to setting clear expectations, it's important to be available to answer questions and offer support. Don't leave your team members in the dark - make sure they know they can come to you with any questions or concerns they may have.

Effective delegation is all about trust and empowering your team to take on new challenges. By clearly communicating expectations and providing necessary resources and support, you can set your team up for success.

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s to trust your employees. You hired them because you saw potential and delegating tasks that match their strengths will help the business as well as help you organize your schedule. You’ll have more time to focus on important tasks, while they’ll feel empowered leading to greater job satisfaction.

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