Each blog post I come to you with thoughts, most of which come from my own experiences. However, this month I take a detour and allow the insight of an old acquaintance, Todd Duncan to challenge your thinking about what you do with your time. Todd’s thoughts and questions of delegation, though basic, are the following:
In a moment of honesty, you would have to admit that you are overqualified for most of the tasks you perform in both your personal and professional life. If you’re like most, you spend several working hours every month filing paperwork, standing at the copier, sending faxes, returning emails, and answering unproductive phone calls. Off the job, you probably spend just as many hours cleaning, washing, landscaping, and running errands that could be performed by just about anyone. And while some of the tasks you perform are ones that you enjoy, most of them are neither the most productive nor the most preferred tasks in your life. That’s why delegation is such a powerful instrument.
You see, most people don’t fully understand the power of focus in their lives and the role delegation plays in allowing that to happen. Having more freedom in your life is merely a function of focusing on the few things that create the greatest emotional and spiritual equity personally, and the greatest significance and profitability professionally.
If your desire is to free up more time and more energy to spend on the things that you value most on and off the job, determine your answers to the following 3 questions.
What do you want your life to look like? Ask yourself: “What tasks outside my job do I routinely become involved in that I am either not good at or don’t like doing?” Whatever tasks fit this profile should be delegated as much as possible.
What do you want your business to look like? Ask yourself: “What is required of me that I don’t do well or that someone else can do as good as or better than me?” Consider the following examples:
Making copies – 1 hour per week = 50 hours per year
Reading emails – 3 hours per week = 150 hours per year
Updating files/filing paperwork – 1 hour per week = 50 hours per year
Listening to voicemail messages – 2 hours per week = 100 hours per year
Sending/receiving faxes – 1 hour per week = 50 hours per year
If you used that time to increase your productivity on the job, how much more could you do? If you used that time to invest more in your family and friends, how much value could you add?
“The laboring man,” said Lord Clarendon, “knows what every hour of his time is worth.”
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