Do you ever feel frustrated by too much work? Does everyone else involved seem totally unaware of the urgency? Imagine how different your life would be if only you could gain more cooperation in the workplace or at home!
Learning to delegate tasks effectively to employees, children, or teammates can reduce stress while accomplishing much more in less time. Whether it’s your home or business you want to improve, a few changes can make all the difference in the world!
For example, when you visit a well-run classroom, you’ll find a teacher who has planned ahead for the day, assigned specific tasks to different children based on strengths, and requests help from the students.
The teacher doesn’t try to do everything. Rather, the students are given assignments to be office helper, chalkboard washer, group leader, and more. This works best when the tasks are spelled out on a chart with names assigned to the job, but simply requesting help is also effective.
You can use these same methods in your environment to recruit some much needed help and cooperation.
People intrinsically want to feel useful, so when delegating tasks, use these ideas:
1. Plan ahead. You can’t overestimate the power of planning. When you know exactly what you want to accomplish, you can express it clearly to your children or employees. With an end result in view, everyone stays on track.
Make a master list of tasks you’d like accomplished, including the different steps needed to complete each task. Assign these steps to different people so each person in the office or family is working together to achieve a goal, and nobody is overburdened.
2. Match tasks to strengths. Finding the person whose strength matches each need will not only result in the best product, but also more satisfaction in those doing the tasks. Figure out who the writers, organizers, computer geeks, and artistic people are within your group and let their gifts complement their assignments.
The same holds true in your family when delegating tasks. Match chores to the child based on age, physical capabilities, and preferences. For example, if you have one child who likes a particular chore, let that chore become your child’s regular job.
3. Make tasks clear. Take the time to explain each person’s task and the steps needed to finish it. Posting the steps on a dry erase board or chart is an effective visible reminder. If your subordinates or children have clear expectations, you can simply tell them to complete their assigned job.
Some children are visual learners. They learn by watching rather than listening to directions. Show your children how to do a task correctly and they’ll learn quickly.
4. Make Deadlines Reasonable. When you need something done quickly, especially in an office environment, people will naturally become stressed out trying to do the job correctly and quickly. This will inevitably lead to mistakes being made and you’ll need extra time – and possibly extra money – to fix those mistakes.
Let your clients know how long is required to complete the job, and only commit to reasonable time frames. If necessary, hire extra people to help rather than overloading your current workers.
You can keep your home and business running smoothly without frustration or stress. With clear expectations and people functioning in their best capacities, peace and efficiency can be yours! Start getting the results you want today by implementing these tips into your every day routines.
