It’s often said that one great characteristic of an effective leader is knowing when and how to delegate responsibility. But delegating is a skill; when you aren’t higher up in a hierarchy, how can you even begin to learn that skill? These tips will let you practice delegating tasks in your everyday life.
Outsourcing to Professionals
One of the challenges anyone can face in delegating tasks is the mere act of letting go. Sometimes, you may feel that you have to do it all; perhaps you don’t trust others to do a better job or feel that it’s not right to pass on responsibilities to someone else.
However, every day, countless businesses prove such instincts wrong. They outsource essential back-office tasks and enjoy improved administrative functionality while freeing up time for their core team to focus on the biggest challenges.
Similarly, you can let go of some of your daily tasks and still be assured that they are done to a high standard by outsourcing to local professionals.
Identify responsibilities in your everyday life, which are tedious or require greater skill or effort on your part to be accomplished promptly. Then, start looking around for reliable services and recommendations in those areas.
Streamlining and Simplifying Decisions
A lot of people can overlook the cumulative effect that planning and decision-making can have on our mental energy. Over a day, week, or month, everybody needs to make a wide range of plans and schedule adjustments to balance work, household tasks, and social or leisure activities.
Sometimes, you might enjoy this part – when planning for a weekend getaway, for instance. Often, though, the trivial, everyday decisions can tax your willpower and contribute to the draining effect on your energy each day.
Thanks to the plethora of apps, services, and reviews available online, you can delegate many of these decisions. For instance, the task of drawing up a grocery list often entails planning a week’s worth of healthy meals. You don’t have to resort to fast food or takeout to let go of that task.
Instead, avail of home meal delivery services that can provide you with the ingredients and recipes you need for a great home-cooked meal without taxing your brainpower.
Getting Others to Help
Often, we can overlook the potential to delegate certain tasks to people who are part of our daily lives. If you find that you’re handling most or all of the domestic chores, yet your living arrangements include friends, family members, or kids, perhaps, it’s time to reconsider delegating a portion of those tasks.
Doing so doesn’t only ease your burden but also give others empowerment and a sense of responsibility. For those who live alone, consider asking your neighbours for the occasional favour. This doesn’t make you a bad neighbour. If anything, it can strengthen your relationships within the community, which is also a great way to overcome the current issues stemming from excessive social isolation.
Learning how to delegate is an essential skill for leaders, but we can also apply it to various aspects of our personal lives. Even if you aren’t in a leadership role at work, you can embrace that role at home and start delegating tasks to conserve your energy and focus on things that matter most.
