By: Jaclyn Walian
Delegation is something that I have had to learn and adapt, and I know it’s always a topic of conversation at the office – mostly because PR professionals are perfectionists and sometimes it’s just easier to do the work yourself.
It can be hard to let go of certain tasks and responsibilities, but if we didn’t delegate, how would we teach others, open up space for new and more challenging assignments and, as a result, grow as a team?
Here are some rules of thumb that the Olives are committed to:
- If you can do it in your sleep, delegate it. At some point in your career, certain tasks become so easy and repetitive that you could do them in your sleep. If that happens, it means it’s time to delegate them out. These tasks won’t feel repetitive to someone else and will give them an opportunity to learn something new.
- Don’t give up tasks you love doing. As you grow in your career, you will inevitably acquire more responsibility and work, sometimes leaving you no time to do some of the tasks from your previous role. When reviewing what you can delegate out, be sure to hold onto the things you love to do the most—even if it doesn’t fall in your job description anymore. If you have passion for it, you are the best person to do it.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Delegation can be scary because you are now relying on someone else to get the job done and if they do it poorly or incorrectly, it can mean more work for you. If this happens, I would challenge you to ask yourself what you could have done better in the situation instead of getting upset. Delegation takes time to master, so don’t throw in the towel too early or you’ll run the risk of overworking yourself.
Do you have any tips or questions about delegation? Tweet us at @OlivePRSolution!