Hello Ann

I was just talking to a friend who had a list a mile long of things she wanted to delegate or have someone else take over - and her perspective was that she was just "too lazy" to do those things. In fact, just the opposite is true - if I look at her focus and uber-productivity in the revenue-generation side of her business, I see anything but lazy! I think it's time to get some support!

I've observed at least three major reasons people resist getting support to keep their life and business running smoothly. One camp says  "if I want it done right, I have to do it myself." Camp number 2 says "I don't deserve it." And camp number 3 says "I can't afford it." Wow - lots of reasons for not getting the support you need to be successful!

Let's assume that you've gotten over yourself and have dealt with all of the excuses for not hiring others to support you. The next step is knowing when to hire someone and what to hand off.

When to Hire Help

Although it may be easy to identify the fact that you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, it’s not always easy to pinpoint the moment when the time is right to hire someone to help you complete these tasks.

Luckily, I’ve consulted with the expert advice of Deb Brown - “Professional Time Creator” - for answers.

According to Brown, who is the founder of the personal assistant service “Time Creators”, there are some clear indicators that it may be time for you to turn to the assistance of others to make sure it all gets done.

The Time-Creating Specialist suggests you consider getting help:

• When it affects the bottom line – If you don’t have the time you need for revenue producing tasks, you need to hire omeone to take care of those things that don’t result in a profit.
• When it affects your quality of life – If your head is constantly spinning in an effort to keep track of everything, then you need someone to hand things off to so you can clear your head. If your stress level is high or you have no down time, get help in order to regain balance.
• Before you think you should – Typically when you’ve been doing things yourself, it is hard to envision letting someone else take over. You have a hard time figuring out what to hand off and how to explain it all. Perhaps you wonder if you will have enough to keep them busy. To combat these fears, start small with things that don’t require a lot of instruction or
  decision making. After you start, you will quickly see what other things can be handed off.

How to Decide What to Hand Off

Your schedule is jam-packed and your task list is off the charts, but what should you consider delegating to your support team?

What to Delegate:

1. Tasks that slow you down because you dislike them or dread them.
2. Tasks or projects that would fit someone else’s area of expertise or specific skillset better.
3. Administrative or time-consuming tasks that prevent you from gunning for the more lucrative, business expanding opportunities.
4. Repetitive tasks that can be done again and again without very much additional guidance are perfect to assign to someone else. This also removes these tasks from your to-do list more permanently.
5. Never delegate any of the tasks that you do best, and which use your strongest skills.

Resource

Time Creators
Deb Brown
deb@time-creators.com

Social Style Tip of the Day
How can a Driving Style person better serve customers?

Each Style of person interacts with customers in unique ways, and sometimes people’s Style behaviors don’t match the needs of customers or clients. Driving Style people can be forceful in their approach and run the risk of coming across as too aggressive. They are usually focused on their own goals, so they may fail to take the time to understand the needs and desires of customers. This can have longer-term repercussions if their customers feel overwhelmed or pushed into a service that they really do not want. You can help by coaching them to slow down and pay greater attention to customers. They should carefully listen to what others are saying, and be aware of subtle non-verbal cues that can indicate how people are feeling. They can be more patient with clients and customers, understanding that others will not necessarily be on their same time frame and that there are benefits to creating lasting working relationships rather than on focusing only on immediate needs.

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About Ann

With more than 20 years of experience as a corporate leader, Ann brings an integrated-systems perspective to any discussion or situation and a straightforward, practical approach to coaching and consulting. Ann's unique and varied career and educational experiences allow her to quickly identify and communicate interrelationships among issues, people, and complex organizational systems. Her positive outlook, energy, and participative leadership style enable her to inspire, motivate, and develop leadership in others.