The Real Truth About Working Smarter, Not Harder

Running a business or department can often stretch you to the limit.

To be effective at doing what you do best, it's imperative to look at what tasks you can either delegate or outsource.

Delegating

This is an interesting word. For some people it means completely letting go of their responsibilities and getting someone else to do the work. Now that's all well and good providing that you train that person on how you've been handling those tasks. Show them how it's been done first.

For many business owners and managers, delegating means completely abdicating all responsibility for a particular task to somebody else without showing them how. They expect that person to know?immediately.

Well, forget it. No wonder you often hear people say, "I tried to delegate that task but no-one was as good as me at doing it!" Or "I just couldn't find the right person who was capable of taking on those responsibilities".

That's an interesting comment. Often people are given responsibilities for which they have had no training in and are then expected to know how to carry out those duties. A great example of this is when a person is promoted to manager/team leader and he/she is automatically expected to know how to manage themselves and their people.

Coming In From the Outside

How about the new kid on the block who comes in to take up the reins in a position, which has already been vacated. They're expected to run the department or business as if they've been working in the company for the past three years!

Outsourcing

When your car needs to be repaired do you spend hours trying to fix it or see a mechanic who takes two hours?

Do you do your own tax return or have an accountant prepare it for you?

If you need a new assistant do you place an ad in the paper, spend hours interviewing people or have a recruitment company do all the ground work and send you the top three applicants?

Why waste your precious time on tasks which will do exactly that?waste your precious time. And time is money!

Use the Experts

Use the valuable input of experts who can take away the stress and hassle and carry out the tasks in a fraction of the time it would take you. Sure you have to pay for it, but isn't it better to work smarter, not harder?

Why spend hours on tasks which are not your specialty?

Identify what you do best then delegate or outsource the rest. In fact, if you truly feel you are good at what you do and are happy to share that, why not teach someone else those same skills, then you could really leverage yourself.

Particularly if you are business owner, this would allow you more time to work on your business rather than in it.

A Word of Caution For Business Owners

Be careful about who you get your advice from. I know of many small business owners who listen to the advice of their personal assistants, spouses and relatives on how they should run their business although those people have never been in business themselves.

By all means get feedback from your people, however if you really want to work smarter, not harder invest some money into a business coach or someone who has already run a successful business so that you can avoid costly mistakes and have someone else offer a fresh perspective. Being too closely involved can give you a tainted view.

The Final Word

Write down all your responsibilities and the tasks that you undertake. Tick the tasks which someone else could realistically do. Then write next to it either the name of the person or type of person/company who can do this for you or offer some expert assistance or support ie. bookkeeper, printing company, personal assistant, coach.

To work smarter not harder, always look at who else can do this work/task. Always look at lightening your load so that you can spend your time doing what you do best.

About The Author

Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. www.office-organiser.com.au, lorraine@office-organiser.com.au

---

How Empathy Can Reduce Your Anger

Jim, a 42-year old engineer was teaching his eight-year-old son... Read More

Searching For Your Calling ? Quest or Curse?

Judging by the extraordinarily positive reader response to Po Bronson's... Read More

Coaching vs. Directing - How Does Improv Theater Suggest You Should Lead Your Team

An age old battle in improv that I believe resonates... Read More

How to Adopt a Losing Attitude

We have all heard the expression, "Where your heart is?,... Read More

After July 8, Pay This Amount

You undoubtedly go through this, too. A few times a... Read More

Floating In Mindfulness: Dealing With Disappointment

Feeling disappointed? It's time to float.The time-honored approach to disappointment... Read More

Is Coaching Everything That It Is Cracked Up To Be?

Personal or business coaching has helped thousands change their lives... Read More

It?s All To Do With The Way You Wake Up

Do you start your day with anger, frustration and annoyance... Read More

Who Are You Mixing It With?

I talk and write a lot about Life Design ?... Read More

How to Forgive Another for Past Hurts

No one gets through life without being hurt by another... Read More

What Do You Really Want ?

Being a coach is such a rewarding profession. The enormous... Read More

HR Professional in New Avtaar: HR as a Coach and Mentor

IntroductionThese days in corporate sector, everybody is talking about the... Read More

Tips for Writing Great Coaching E-Books

Never understimate the power of a well-written word. Tens of... Read More

Our Perception Determines Our Experience

Not long ago, I traveled back east to Ohio and... Read More

Tripping On Mindfulness

One of the ironies of mindfulness is that it's still... Read More

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How Do You Change the World?

Recently, I saw an exhibition of paintings by a very... Read More

How Do You Build Momentum in Your Business and Life?

A few weeks ago at a "Leadership from the Ground... Read More

One BIG Way To Increase Your Values and Self-Esteem

One hour here, two hours there, even fifteen minutes, it... Read More

A Beginner To Beginners

You may be just starting, or contemplating, your first online... Read More

A Perrverse Confidante

Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 15,... Read More

Walt Disney, the Inspiration to Form a Better Life?

You, like many others, may have come to this article... Read More

Its Only Adult ADD-What A Relief!

For most of her fifty years, Barbara was at war... Read More

Purpose

Many people go through much of their lives without really... Read More

How to Make $100,000 as a Personal Trainer

In the movie, "The Gladiator," Emperor Commodus' rose to power... Read More

Listen To Me Lad Says Jack

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, when... Read More

4 Amazing Tips To Successfully Persuade Anyone

Having excellent persuasion skills is one of the most important... Read More

The Difference Between Approval and Appreciation

Having worked with individuals, couples, families and business partners for... Read More

How To Gain Control Of Your Life

"The latter part of a wise man's life," said Jonathan... Read More

Strategic Checklists

I've been through a couple of checklists in the past... Read More

How to Get More Business Without Even Trying

Why are you in business? Hopefully you enjoy what you... Read More

Corporate Coaching and Employees: One Step Ahead

"Don't shoot... We're on the same side."Contrary to popular belief,... Read More

W Edwards Deming

Immediately post second world war W Edwards Deming went to... Read More

3 Secrets to Developing Superior People Skills

1. If What You Are Doing Is Not Working Change... Read More