An important delegation tip is knowing when you need to get help with your important tasks. This can be a tough decision for Type A, perfectionists, who may be reluctant to seek out backups.
When discussing time management, it’s common to ask people to think about those things they do really well. As you might guess, it’s smart to focus primarily on those items. But what happens if some of your top tasks take place at the same time?
I met a professional speaker who faces that challenge. After her presentations, she sells and signs copies of her book. Besides generating extra revenue, she interacts with some of her biggest fans, people who may refer her to future engagements.
It’s important to the speaker that she’s present and focused with the book buyers. The downside is some may share lengthy personal stories or observations.
This is a concern because immediately after a presentation, there’s a second group seeking her out. They want to bring her to their next meeting and start the sales process.
Like bananas, this opportunity stays fresh for a limited amount of time. If the potential buyer has to wait too long, then there’s a good chance the lucrative sale will be lost or forgotten. Even the best marketing takeaways can’t replace the personal sales pitch.
In this scenario, the speaker is excellent at both tasks but can’t perform them simultaneously. Trying to do it made book buyers feel unsatisfied with the experience and saw speaking sales opportunities walk out the door.
The speaker understood she needed a backup, which allows her to focus on what she does best and can’t be replaced by someone else. For her, that meant selling books and interacting with fans.
But she didn’t turn her back on future presentation sales. Now at engagements, she has an assistant handle the sales inquiries for speeches. That person has been trained in the offerings, frequently asked questions, and other issues. The goal is to is to make sure no warm leads becomes cold.
For the speaker, this delegation tip, allows present and future customers to receive timely attention.
The process works best when you invest time in training your backup. Really think about why you’re good at the task and break it down into a process that can be followed by someone else. You may want to perform some role playing exercises. Don’t assume the other person will “get it” by chance.
Thoughtful delegation can become a superpower because it allows you to effectively be in two places at once. Going through the delegation process can also open your mind to other opportunities, where you can get help with your work.
