“Sheesh, I have so much to do.” “I’m just so busy!” “It’s crazy around here!”
If you have ever muttered these words, I’ll bet that you are working beyond your eight hour day, trying to get it all done.
What about the rest of your team? If they are working just as hard as you and the team is seeing positive results (even just a few glimmers at first), then you are fair and focused.
However, if you are working harder and/or longer than your team, well then, you are working too hard!
For the next three days, take a good look at each and every task you do. Ask yourself, “Do I absolutely have to do this task, or is there another person on my team who should be doing this?”
Notice, I did NOT say “could” be doing this. I said, “should“. If the team member doesn’t have the ability to perform the task, then provide instruction, training, and guidance so he CAN do that task.
And if the person DOES know how to do that task, then delegate the task. Be explicit about the end result: What you want as an outcome AND what you don’t want! When do you want the task accomplished, and are there any check-in points along the way? If not obvious, share the “why” this task is important and any procedural “must do’s” After that, get out of the way and let her do the job as she sees fit. You don’t need to micro-manage the “how” he gets the job done, do you? As long as you shared your non-negotiables, then why should you care that she took a left rather than going right?
Yes, it will take an investment of time to get that person up to speed or delegate the task, but that will be time well spent – so you don’t have to work so darn hard!
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KRISTIN ARNOLD, MBA, CPF, CSP is a high stakes meeting facilitator and professional panel moderator. She’s been facilitating teams of executives and managers in making better decisions and achieving greater results for over 20 years. She is the author of the award-winning book, Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve and Inspire Audiences to Action.
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