How to Delegate Effectively to Free up Time for High-Impact Activities

Business leaders often juggle numerous tasks and responsibilities. Although you’re the most capable in the business, there’s only so much you can accomplish daily. Trying to do so would only make you the bottleneck that’ll slow the progress of your business.

This is why delegation is an important skill for business leaders. Research shows that an organisation’s success is strongly influenced by the actions of the business leader. The ability of a leader to delegate and include employees in business strategies raises the performance standard in the business.

Business publications also reveal that delegation frees up your time to focus on the bigger picture - specifically on strategies that lead to growth. It also promotes growth and development as your team is given clear responsibilities in the workplace. It forces them to commit to implementing the right decision which in effect, makes them feel valued. This improves job satisfaction and loyalty.

In this article, we’ll go deeper into the art of delegation and how you can use it to free up time for high-value activities in the business. You’ll get practical tips to help you delegate effectively so it leads to the growth of your business and your team as well.

Identify Low-Value VS High-Impact Tasks

Delegation is the transfer of responsibilities from one person to another. This could involve a specific task, decision, project or even a whole department.

The first step to effective delegation is knowing what tasks should be transferred. As the business leader, it’s up to you to identify the low-value tasks that should be delegated to your team so you can concentrate on the high-impact ones that drive the most value to the business.

Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish for the business then plot it in the Value/Effort Matrix below.

You should have a list of tasks under 4 different categories.

• High Value and Low Effort. These are high-value tasks that don’t require a lot of effort - which is something that business leaders can do.

• High Value and High Effort. These are high-value tasks that require a skilled individual. If the business leader is not skilled in this area, they can either learn or delegate it to an expert.

• Low Value and Low Effort. These are low-value tasks that anyone can do - so it’s best to delegate them.

• Low Value and High Effort. These are low-value tasks that should be delegated to the right person who is skilled to accomplish the job.

As the visionary behind the business, there are tasks that only you can do so your business can grow in the direction you intended for it. These are the high-value tasks that require your leadership and critical decision-making skills.

The low-value tasks are mostly administrative in nature or routine tasks. These include scheduling meetings, making client follow-ups, data entry tasks, etc.

By delegating low-value tasks, you can free up your time and focus on high-value tasks that only you can do and will leave the most impact on the business growth.

Empower the Team Through Ownership and Accountability

Once you’ve identified the tasks you can delegate, it’s time to focus on the people you’ll be delegating to. It’s not just about offloading tasks. Business leaders are responsible for matching the job with the right person. Make sure the delegated task is aligned with the interests and skills of the person. Failing to assign it to the right person will endanger the completion of the task.

According to business expert journals, empowerment makes delegation effective. When you entrust a task to someone else, you’re not just passing a job. You’re giving them the knowledge and skills needed to complete the job. If this is something that goes beyond their core responsibilities, they’ll be taken on a path of growth to accommodate the new task.

This is empowering. Give your team complete ownership and accountability over the job. Don’t micromanage them and allow them to make decisions without prompting. This will make your employees feel valued. Showing you recognise their potential and entrust them to complete a task gives them the confidence to step up and achieve growth.

The professional growth will also strengthen the overall team dynamic as people step out of their comfort zone to do what is expected of them. As long as your team is provided with clear expectations, necessary resources and an open channel of communication, delegation will lead to higher job satisfaction, better performance and loyal employees.

Leverage Technology and Automation for Efficiency

Not all tasks can be delegated to people. Sometimes, it’s more practical and efficient to use technology and automation - especially for low-value tasks. For instance, you can use a tool to schedule meetings and automatically link it to your calendar. Set it up so it sends an email reminder before the meeting. Or you can use a CRM (customer relationship management) system to send out email follow-ups and newsletters to clients.

The right tools and systems can streamline processes and allow you to eliminate manual work. It can also minimise errors and ensure consistency across business operations.

This will free up time, not just for you but the rest of your employees. You can all focus on strategic tasks that require human intervention and contribute directly to the growth of the business.

Master the Art of Prioritisation

Effective delegation should be followed by prioritisation. After delegating low-value tasks, analyse your list of to-dos and learn how to prioritise the urgent and more impactful ones. Consider your business goals so your tasks are all aligned and headed towards your vision.

Allocate your time wisely to dedicate your effort to what drives the most revenue and impact on the business. According to a survey done by Gallup in 2014, CEOs who delegate effectively were able to generate 33% more revenue compared to those who can’t.

Fortunately, some tools can help you prioritise tasks. Apart from the Value/Effort Matrix previously mentioned, you can use the Eisenhower Matrix to determine which tasks should be done now, scheduled on a later date, delegated to someone else (or automated) or deleted from the business process.

Through prioritisation, you can ensure no time is wasted and that high-value tasks are done immediately and strategically.

Strike the Right Balance Between Oversight and Letting Go

As you are prioritising your tasks and responsibilities, try to strike a balance between oversight and letting go. Just because you delegated a task, you will already forget about it. There are still delegated tasks that require your oversight - at the very least, to ensure that they’re being done according to your standards.

As the business leader, you don’t relinquish control completely. Of course, you don’t want to micromanage your team. But you have to enforce accountability through regular updates and reports. Set up communication channels where your team can freely give you updates, ask questions and pitch ideas. This will give them enough space to make decisions and demonstrate their capabilities while you provide guidance and support.

This is how you empower your team. Schedule meetings now and then so your team can raise concerns and you can make them feel that you’re ready to step in if there’s a need.

Learn Effective Delegation to Focus on High-Value Tasks

Mastering the art of delegation is a must for business leaders who want to scale and achieve long-term success. Identifying low-value tasks allows you to separate them from high-value activities and helps you delegate to the right people or use technology to automate them. This will lead to a more empowered team as they experience ownership and accountability. Delegation will also teach you how to prioritise and maintain the balance between oversight and letting go.

Learning to delegate is a journey that one must take. As a business coach, I can help you navigate the complexities of delegation so you can develop strategies aligned with your business goals.

If you’d like to take your business to the next level, let’s create a plan so you can focus on what matters the most. Let’s talk. Book a complimentary 15-minute call here: https://www.butleradvisory.com.au/time-with-trent.