UXL Blog

If you’re like many people I know, you tend to get bogged down and busy during the holiday season. You take on an array of tasks—planning holiday gatherings, meal prep, gift shopping, arranging to get yourself and your family to all those holiday activities. With so much on your plate (and I’m not just talking about the turkey!), it can seem difficult to slow down, catch your breath, and re-strategize. But that’s exactly what I encourage you to do.

One of the most powerful ways to lighten your workload is to delegate. Delegation does not mean you’re lazy or ineffective—far from it. Instead, it is a sign of competent leadership, and it shows you are self-aware enough to know when you’ve just about hit your limit.

Even though many of us know delegation is a good idea, we tend to put up barriers. We make up excuses, such as:

“No one else has the skills to do what I need. I have to do it myself.”

“Everyone else is busy, too. It wouldn’t be fair to delegate.”

“What if someone else takes a different approach than I would? I don’t think I’d like that.”

“Delegating doesn’t save all that much time. I would have to explain the entire process/task/etc. to someone else before they could do it.”

…And on and on.

Though these excuses may sound convincing, they are usually quite flimsy. Usually, someone else will have some free time to take on part of your to-do list. And even if a task is difficult and/or the other person does not have the same skills you do, you should be able to train them in (and once you do, they can continue to help in the future).

A lot of these excuses boil down to one key concept: Letting go. For those who like to be in control, it may be difficult to hand over a project to another person. But does it really matter if that person approaches it exactly how you would have? Does it matter if they use different resources or skills to get the job done? As long as the end result is what you were looking for, it shouldn’t matter at all. Besides, you may learn something by observing how someone else approaches a familiar task or project. These can be learning moments, if you let them.

If you’re currently stretched too thin, I challenge you to practice some delegation. Just make sure the delegation is appropriate (not all work tasks can or should be delegated) and that the other person has the time and necessary experience to do the job.

Keep in mind, delegation can be effective in your personal life, as well as your work life. Planning a holiday gathering? Ask someone else to make the pie or to pop by the store to buy paper plates and napkins. Running your kids around to after-school activities? See if you can partner with another parent for drop off/pick up.

All great leaders delegate, and you can embrace this attribute as well. When approached with tact and a little strategy, delegation can work out well for all parties involved.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE. 

Tags: benefits of delegation, delegate during holidays, holiday delegation, margaret smith career coach, margaret smith leadership, power of delegation