In the era of Google and consumerization of IT, where multiple tools such as SAAS and various collaborative applications constantly emerge on the scene of Cloud Computing, we can quickly feel equipped and armed against the multitude of digital solicitations. With all these fantastic, flexible, open, and collaborative tools, one tends to believe that they can do everything themselves and organize ALONE. Yet, despite this, do you still find yourself terribly short on time, with things seeming to accelerate at a breakneck pace? Do you feel like you’re underwater or drowning in multiple tasks and countless to-do lists? With such collaborative solutions, far more open than before, delegating tasks outside your core business would mean multiplying the traditional effect of delegation and amplifying its positive effects! How to delegate in the digital age?
What does delegation mean?!
Delegating means entrusting to others tasks that you usually perform… Not a simple thing to do, especially when you have been forging ahead alone and have had the “good or bad” habit of doing everything yourself.
An entrepreneur faces a daily dilemma: how to manage and reconcile time and money, two resources as precious as each other and becoming scarce when undertaking! Indeed, the two key resources of an entrepreneur are clearly money and time… It is increasingly difficult to find the right balance to reconcile these two resources, yet so rare and precious when developing your own business.
Entrepreneurship: the result of a collective story!
I would like to address with you the famous and eternal question of delegation when you are an entrepreneur. I am convinced that delegation must be approached from the very first months of starting a business, starting, for example, with partners (communication, PR, accountant, etc.).
Furthermore, the success of an entrepreneur is a team effort… Because it’s your parents, siblings, cousins, friends, teachers, chance encounters, close circle, and surroundings who have directly or indirectly contributed to the gradual drawing of your beautiful entrepreneurial journey. And yes, you are not the product of your intelligence alone :-)… I think that an entrepreneur must therefore be humble and know how to surround themselves with the best skills, expertise, and also the best creative forces.
Moreover, delegating will allow you to focus on what really matters for the advancement and development of your business, to finally focus on the essentials. But also to have a dashboard of your business, with key indicators. You will gain in productivity, time, and efficiency, thanks to the creation of formal and established processes…
Yes, yes, delegating is good… But What to delegate?
Yes, yes, we know you are already convinced of the virtues and benefits of delegation! But now remains the question of What and How to delegate? Here is a method that I can propose to you:
2 key steps: identify your tasks that are DEO with very high added value and the tasks that are DUO, those with low added value.
DEO tasks, with very high added value, whose effectiveness depends only on you. Identify them and keep them!
Daily: these are tasks with high added value that you perform daily, regularly, or recurrently.
Essential: These are tasks essential to your business, those that directly concern your expertise and directly generate results and business. These strategic tasks can only be performed by you.
Mandatory: by mandatory, we mean tasks that are unavoidable and so indispensable for the advancement of your Business. After assessing these tasks, identify these DUO tasks, those that you will delegate to a third party.
DUO tasks, with low added value, identify and delegate them!
Daily: these are almost daily or recurring tasks (every 15th of the month or end of the month).
Unessential: because they do not directly concern your core business, although indispensable, even inevitable for the functioning of your Business.
Mandatory: tasks or missions that are indispensable, although with low added value, but fundamental for the smooth progress of your business. For example, billing your clients simply and preparing your accounting.
These DUO missions thus become important tasks, but clearly outside your expertise, and can therefore be easily delegated to someone who does not master your Business.
Take the example of Press Relations: yes, as an entrepreneur, you have a very good network and are probably an excellent communicator, but that doesn’t mean you have the time, energy, or inclination to communicate daily with journalists… In short, to each their expertise!
How to delegate to multiply productivity and boost your Business?
Create a Delegation Kit for your partner or collaborator who will carry out this new “DUO” mission: ** Precise and detailed framework of the DUO mission with 1 clear final objective: What do you want to achieve as a Final result? ** Define the responsibilities of your partner or collaborator ** Method and detailed process to carry out this DUO mission ** The means and tools necessary to carry out this mission ** A calendar and its assigned schedule with objectives and sub-objectives dated, achievable, realistic, and concrete
Equip yourself to delegate easily!
Some examples of practical tools to help you create a functional ecosystem to multiply and accelerate the positive effects of delegation (efficiency, productivity, speed): Assign tasks to your partners or collaborators: Wunderlist / producteev / nozbe / podio / trello / symphonical / Google Drive Make your choices and happy delegation!
