Leveraging the Power of Your Team & Creating More Time for You

In your current role, you probably have a lot on your plate. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and take on too much responsibility. Instead of burdening others, it’s tempting to add more items to your ever-expanding to-do list. That’s why knowing when and how to delegate is an incredibly important skill.

Unfortunately, there are few tutorials that effectively teach delegation. This skill is more involved than simply assigning a job to someone else. It also goes beyond identifying who on a team is the most qualified and best suited for a project. Instead, effective leaders evaluate the assignment and ask, “Who would see this project as not just a task, but as an opportunity?” This requires more than knowing the project — it pushes leaders to know their team.
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Each person is different, with a different background, education, work history, etc., and we look at things in different ways. For some, a particular assignment may be no more than another item on a to-do list, while for others, that same assignment could be something that excites and ignites their passion. For example, I look at hosting a symposium or conference as an energizing event, while many others see that job as a daunting if not overwhelming chore. The job still needs to be done, but it’s far more effective to give that responsibility to someone who would be invigorated by it.

​So next time you start noticing your to-do list filling up, ask yourself if there’s someone on your team who would benefit from this experience, enjoy the challenge, or think of this as a valuable activity that will help advance their career. Then, take it off your plate and give this opportunity to them. Now, not only will you be able to check something off your list, you’ll be empowering a team member at the same time.