How to be a better delegator ??

Welcome to Quick Confidence! This weekly letter delivers a spritz of stories, tips and simple actions that will build your confidence and your power. Each quick tip bolsters confidence in your body, mind, and relationships so you can lead yourself and others to greatness.

Taking on more authority and bigger responsibilities can be exhilarating.

As you grow in your career, you’re going to accept bigger challenges and simultaneously set your sights on better, more complex goals. And while it’s exciting to take on dynamic projects that stretch you… there will come a time when too much is just too much.

I know because just this month, I took the step of handing over the management of my email inbox to my talented assistant, Chelsea.?

For months, I had been struggling to keep up with my inbox, book-writing, and other priorities. I even delayed getting the help I needed because it was just one more thing on an impossible (and ever-growing) to-do list!

Now that I’m on the other side, I can tell you that it’s a whole new world. In fact, I wish I’d done it a year ago, instead of pushing through the overwhelm I felt juggling everything myself.

How about you? Have you noticed you've started waking up earlier and working later to finish tasks? Or do you forget small but important details? Maybe it's a feeling of irritability, sleepiness, hunger - or being consistently stressed out?!

If this sounds familiar, then consider delegating tasks to others. Being blunt, your only other option will be to continue as you are until you grind yourself into dust.?What's encouraging is that delegation isn’t just good for avoiding burnout, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, it can also empower the people we pass responsibilities on to!

So, fewer tasks on your to-do list and an empowered team – what’s not to love about delegation?

Today’s Quick Confidence is dedicated to learning to let go of control and confidently hand over tasks to your strong and competent team!

Quick Confidence Tips for Delegating Effectively?

1. Mindset: Use the 4 Ds of Productivity. Learning the 4 Ds of productivity is a game-changing system for reassessing your to-do list. You manage your time by designating your to-do’s into four clear categories: Defer (postpone your task), Delete (drop your task), Delegate (hand over your task), or Do (complete your task). Adopting this quick decision-making strategy will help you in the moment to focus on what matters most to you and your goals. The only rule is that you’re not allowed to place every task into the *Do* section! If you have a tendency to do that, then read on to the next tip.
2. Embodied: Find your Zone of Genius. In his book The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks explains that we all have four “zones” of capability: Zone of Incompetence, Zone of Competence, Zone of Excellence, and Zone of Genius. Your Zone of Genius lies where your strengths, talents, and skills overlap – and you feel energized while you’re working; Zone of Excellence refers to what you’re talented and skilled at, but don’t necessarily enjoy; Zone of Competence are things you’re good at, but others do better, and Zone of Incompetence are things you have neither the talent nor skill for. The tasks that are within your Zone of Genius should be in the Do section! To the extent you can, use skills like delegation to manage tasks that fall in the other zones.
3. Interpersonal: Delegate with directness. When it comes time to delegate a task and you’re in a team or group setting, shoot for being clear and straightforward. Rather than hinting that you need help, or throwing an open task up in the air and hoping someone will catch it, make a direct request instead. That means that instead of asking, “Who can tackle the guest list?” Say, “John, would you be willing to own the guest list?” Using someone’s name makes a strong connection with a specific person – plus phrasing your message as a question makes you more likely to get their buy-in if they say yes. Delegating in this way will help you feel like the confident leader you are rather than someone trying to pass off responsibility.

Another great way to facilitate delegating is to have everyone in your team discover their Zone of Genius and discuss them in a meeting. This will make it even easier to delegate with confidence because you’ll understand exactly who is best for the job.

The activity also comes with the added bonus of getting to know your team and increasing everyone’s job satisfaction. How's that for a win/win?!

Imagine what your life would feel like if you could wake up in the morning with a manageable schedule and go to sleep feeling confident that you got everything done. Whew, what a relief!?

I hear the winds of well-being a-blowing!

How has delegating changed your life? Or, if you've been wanting to let go but haven’t yet, what’s stopping you? Let me know in the comments!

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