Productivity Hack #11: Positive Delegation

“None of us is as smart as all of us.”
~ Japanese Proverb

Post written by Kevin Tyler Smith. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook

Delegate: to entrust a task to another.

I used to think getting someone to help me with a task was a sign of weakness. My mentality forbid me to pass on a project, chore or other responsibility to someone else. I never ever wanted to ask for help.

What?…if I couldn’t do it all myself, I must be weak.

The last thing I wanted was to appear incompetent plus I did not want to be considered a “pansy pants”. Therefore, I wanted to do everything myself…foolish uh?

So as I would frantically go about seeing each task to completion there were certain psychological changes occurring that I did not notice at first. To make a long story short, I was transmuting into a mental mess.

Fast forward: Everything changed for me when I met Henry Ford (not literally of course). Yes, Henry Ford, the late great original mind behind the Ford Motor Company. Through reading his story, I was introduced to a concept I thought would be ludicrous for a man of this stature and success.  This very habit he possessed took him on a course to being one of the most brilliant and productive business minds in history.

Henry Ford routinely exercised delegation. (Excuse me, you mean he didn’t try to do it all himself or pretend he was a “Mr. Know-it-all”?) Henry Ford’s philosophy was to employ the services of those who had strengths in certain areas and delegate that responsibility to that person.

Beware of the two negatives…

There are two different types of negative delegation.  Both can inhibit productivity, rather than increase it.  If you recognize either of these factors in your quest to get things done, you can begin changing them for better results.

1. The person who wants to do everything by himself. While this may sound positive at first, it actually is quite the opposite.  The person who insists on taking on more work than he can reasonably do or work he is not fully capable of performing on his own, not only makes himself less productive but also affects the productivity of everyone who is counting on him to do the job.  Whether he is afraid to ask for help, or whether he is simply boastful, it can slow everyone else down as well as himself.

2. The person who shirks his own responsibilities. He may ask others to do tasks which he really should be doing himself.  Not only is he not carrying his own weight, he is taking up the valuable time of others.

Work smarter, not harder…

Positive delegating is sensible.  Acknowledge the times that you cannot do everything and perform equally well.  There is nobody on the face of this planet who can do everything well.  We all have varying strengths in certain areas.

When you have a very large or very tough task to get done, asking others for assistance will help in getting the job done and see it to completion expeditiously.  Instead of looking at delegating as an admission of weakness or incompetence, you are acknowledging the scope of your own role and your own capabilities.  This, in turn, will give others the opportunity to pitch in and help to get the job done. Just remember these 3 important keys to delegating tasks effectively:

1. When delegating a task, be sure to delegate the authority to use the resources to get the job done.
2. Make sure the person(s) understand what you have delegated to them and why.
3. When delegating, don’t take it back.

Delegating for the sake of doing less than you can do or less than you should reasonably be expected to do, is always negative.  However, I have found when you are up against an excessive amount of work than you can reasonably do on your own or a task which you are not capable of completing alone, delegating is the sensible solution.  When a job needs to be done and on time and well, teamwork will give the best results. The power of all is amazing.

See Also – Productivity Hack:

#1: Set A Game Plan

#2: Reduce Distractions

#3: Large Projects First

#4: Self-Discipline

#5: Doing The Impossible

#6: Increasing Motivation

#7: Take Setbacks In Stride

#8: Be Goal Oriented

#9: Mindful Care For Self

#10: Get Organized

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