How To Delegate When You’re Used to Doing It All Yourself

As people grow in their careers, they learn how to delegate. However tempting it may be to try to handle it all, being a successful manager isn’t possible on your own. 

Great leaders know how to work with and teach others to help them build competencies in key areas. In doing so, these leaders can then have time to concentrate on more strategic activities that benefit their businesses.

This article from the Society for Human Resource Management is a wise reminder of why we delegate.

[Related: Do Successful People Outsource? The Answer Is Yes.]

We can be leaders at home as well. 

It’s an understatement to say that parents have a lot to manage to keep their households running smoothly. Especially post-COVID, with new remote work routines and online classes, it can seem like our to-do lists have grown exponentially because family members may spend more time at home.

More often than not, parents who think they can juggle their own workloads alongside their personal lives, family’s activities and household tasks quickly become overwhelmed. 

Domestic Workloads and Mental Health

This New York Times survey of domestic workloads in the time of COVID-19 shows the weight of these burdens (and the differences between how men and women respond). 

In recent years, it can feel like there’s “more” of everything. Seemingly small matters like groceries, meal prep, cleanup and laundry can quickly pile up. 

At Pepper’s Personal Assistants, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of families needing assistance to manage extra responsibilities at home over the past few years. We’re also helping more parents source babysitters, nannies, tutors and house cleaners to aid them in staying organized. 

But if you’ve always managed household activities solo, it can be difficult to let go and let others pitch in. 

[Related: 6 Signs You Need a Personal Assistant]

How To Delegate Home Responsibilities

Here are our tips on how to delegate home responsibilities so you can decrease your stress level and get time back in your day.

Share a Task List

Start — and share — a running list. Planning is an essential first step. And one of the best ways to plan is to do a mind dump of all the tasks that require some help. 

Keep the list in one place, whether it’s on your phone, in a notebook, on a Trello board or elsewhere. 

Whenever you think of something new, add it to the list immediately so you don’t forget it. Share your task list with your assistant, who will help prioritize and track projects.

Plan To Check In

Set up regular check-in calls. Scheduling a weekly call can help ensure that everything is progressing smoothly and that your assistant has the tools necessary to succeed. You can also discuss any new additions to your task list and/or special requests for the upcoming days and weeks.

[Related: Stay on Top of These 5 Kinds of Appointments With a Personal Assistant]

Give Feedback

This is vital: Give feedback immediately. If something’s not right, don’t avoid the issue or hope it eventually fixes itself. Be proactive with your communication so that your assistant can adjust to meet your requirements. 

At Pepper’s, our assistants understand that feedback is an essential part of the job — it’s not criticism they should take personally. Never assume people can read your mind. Open conversations are essential to limit misunderstandings.

Keep an Open Mind

Be open to delegating more. Great assistants use their experience and skill sets to add value and offer help in areas you may not have considered. For example, an assistant who does meal prep may be able to organize the pantry or clean out the refrigerator while food is cooking. 

And be receptive to your assistant’s ideas — they’re there to improve your day-to-day life!

[Related: Supermom’s Secret: How Personal Assistants Can Help Parents]

Let Pepper’s Personal Assistants Make Your Life Easier

Delegating effectively requires some organization and communication on your part. Investing a little bit of time to help your assistant hit the ground running brings big rewards, including more quality family time, a smoother career and a lot less stress. 

What household chores are you ready to give up to get more time back in your day?

We’re here for you at Pepper’s Personal Assistants. Our caring personal assistants offer long-term, ongoing household support in the Puget Sound Area. Interested? Contact us today to get started.