When is it time to delegate tasks?

Every day of our lives, we already get to practice delegating tasks. It can be seen in asking to divide household chores with your partner, or helping your relatives babysit while they are away. Knowing this, let us try to bring talks about delegating tasks to your business. When is it time to delegate tasks?

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The sooner you delegate, the better. Let’s say a client pays you 100$ for a template and your friend is willing to help you do 80% of the work for 50$. You’ve just made 50$ for doing 20% of the work, buying back time to serve more clients.

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As a freelancer, you may be used to doing all of the work yourself...but that doesn't mean you have to! There are many tasks in your business that can and should, be delegated. As a small business owner who is juggling multiple projects at a time, it's easy to keep saying "I'll get to it later" about certain tasks that you can't see yourself doing. It's also easy to think, "Well if I don't do it, no one else will." But this attitude can be detrimental to your business. You have to allow yourself the time to delegate and then trust in the fact that someone else can do the job just as well—if not better—than you can.

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Here are some signs that you may need to delegate your tasks.

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1. You don’t have the time to do everything

You're stretched thin. You've got a million things to do, a million people to take care of, and somehow, you need to find the time and energy to take care of all of them. People who are in business for themselves often think that they can do it all because they've never had anyone else doing it for them before. A good boss will know when to delegate and when to do it themself. They will also know when things need to be done immediately and when they can be delayed.

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In the same way, you need to learn what's important and what can be left until later, or even delegated. You might want to write out a list of all the tasks that need to be done: prioritize them (the ones on top will be more important) and put a date by each one to indicate when it needs to be finished. For those you can't get done in time, make a backup plan as well as an estimate of how much longer they might take with your help.

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Working with a team isn't just about getting things done faster or for less money; it's about taking care of your loved ones more effectively. As soon as you begin delegating tasks, you're not only making room in your schedule to get everything done, but you're also making sure everyone has the time they need to live the best life possible.

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2. It is beyond your expertise

As the saying goes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. While this is certainly true in many cases, delegation is a skill that must be practiced and honed by those who have the ability to lead large groups of people. In order to know when the time is right for delegation, you must first understand the responsibilities that come with leadership. It is your job to delegate tasks that are beyond your expertise; otherwise, you will find yourself in an endless cycle of tasks that don't require as much thought and creativity as they do monotony and memorization.

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There are certain tasks that come up in every workplace, regardless of industry or size. If you're the manager, it's up to you to decide how to delegate these tasks and how often they should be done. As a manager, you know that not all employees have the same skills or interests, so their capacity for certain tasks is likely different from their colleagues.

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3. A task is repetitive and time-consuming

If something constantly needs doing and it's taking up more than its share of your time, consider delegating it. This can range from answering emails to scheduling content, to project management, and more. If the task is time-consuming, but not particularly intellectual or creative in nature, you might also be able to entrust it to someone else without worrying about how it's going to turn out.

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If you take a look at your calendar for this week and the next few months, you might be surprised by how much time you'll spend on a task that's not going to bring you any closer to your goal.

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4. You now have new priorities

At some point in any business, there may come a time when a big job comes along, and you realize you can't do it all yourself. You may have started to scale your business. As such, you may have now taken on higher responsibilities. It's possible that you are now spread thin. If so, then maybe it's time to delegate tasks.

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It's important to remember that delegating is not something that can be done once and then forgotten about; it must be maintained over time. You will have to train your staff or recruit new individuals who can help with the tasks. This is because delegation is not just about handing off boring work so you can focus on more interesting aspects of running your business; it's about working smarter and more efficiently--and delegating tasks allows you to do both of those things.

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In the end, delegation is a difficult choice to make, but I would argue that it's often the right one. Even if you have a lot on your plate, you can't expect to complete everything yourself. But when is it the right time to delegate, and how do you know when you're ready? It all comes down to priorities and making smart decisions about what you want to accomplish. If your most important projects aren't getting enough attention because of less viable tasks, it can be the time to start delegating your tasks.

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Now, try to think if it is finally time for you to delegate your tasks. You can try listing down processes in your business or even just take a look at your everyday to-do list. What should you take charge of, and which can you delegate?

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