While placing an exact value on your time can give you something to work towards and help you decide on which tasks to delegate, there are still some unproductive attitudes that could hinder your progress.
Of course, there are many factors that could influence productivity, both in your personal and professional life, but one of the biggest problems comes from your attitude towards planning and goal setting. While LMI’s programmes are designed to develop new actions and behaviours, a permanent change can only be made with a shift in attitude.
As covered in previous blogs, one of the most effective ways to enhance your personal productivity is to focus your precious time on high priority activities, as these will deliver the greatest results and push you closer towards achieving your goals.
Although you may have the experience and expertise needed to solve an existing workplace problem, it may be more effective to give the task to someone whose time is less valuable than yours, lightening the workload for you to tackle more pressing issues.
These smaller and more trivial tasks may be enjoyable, but if they aren’t getting you any closer to achieving your goals then they’re a waste of time and resources. Delegation will not only boost your own productivity, but it will help develop the next generation of leaders within your team, as the added responsibility empowers your colleagues.
Giving work to other members of your team is not ‘passing the buck’. Despite it being quicker and easier to do a job yourself, teaching someone how to complete a task might work out as a better, cheaper, quicker or more efficient way to complete it moving forward.
The biggest challenge with delegating tasks is having the self-discipline to let go of tasks that are holding you back, especially if you have been used to doing them for a long time. It may be tough to begin with, but over time you will start to reap the rewards.
Once you’ve established a value for your time and understand which tasks are worth the investment, then it’s important to maintain focus and not let outside distractions impact your productivity. Only give activities the time they deserve – if something needs to be passed on, then do it swiftly and move on to the next job.
It may sound strange, but your new mantra should be ‘good enough will do’. Although most businesses will encourage you to strive for perfection, a lot of time can be wasted going over the minor details, especially when it’s unnecessary to do so.
It’s a process that can be scary and liberating, especially if you’re a perfectionist. However, by learning to delegate strategically, it will soon become second nature, as you begin to unlock a wealth of opportunities that were previously out of reach.