5 Reason why delegation is important to your happiness

Running your own business or heading up a team is hectic at the best of times. With reports of stress, anxiety and panic disorders on the increase, the pressure of modern life is having an impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

Finding the time to squeeze everything you need to accomplish into the hours of a working day may seem impossible, but it’s important toalso spend with your family and friends, exercising, eating healthily, being in nature and spending time alone in quiet contemplation (call it meditation or mindfulness, if you will).

Why?

Because without replenishing the energy we put out during our high-stress lifestyle, we end up with mental burn out, fatigue, insomnia and various other health complaints. As Eleanor Brownn so succinctly said, “You cannot serve from an empty vessel”.

Delegation is key to finding the time for a healthy work-life balance, but depending on the type of business owner or manager you are, you may find the thought of relinquishing control quite daunting.

These five reasons why delegation is important for your happiness may help to put your mind at ease:

1. Work smart not hard

Did you know that focusing on more than one task decreases productivity by a whopping 40%? Combine multi-tasking with working long hours and you’ll soon notice that the quality of your work drops.

Delegating tasks to others in your team will mean you can pay special attention to urgent matters. Working smart means you’ll focus all your attention on the bigger picture, at ease in the knowledge that someone else is handling the details.

2. Keep it simple

Handinhand with working smarter comes ‘keeping it simple’. Don’t over complicate your life; there’s no point in delegating if you’re going to micromanage the living daylights out of your employee or personal assistant. Give them simple instructions and the opportunity to shine.

Not convinced? Try the 10% rule. Whether your personal assistant works in the same office as you or you employ the services of a virtual pa, the 10% rule helps avoid any nasty surprises at the completion of a task.

This method simply means your PA reports back to you once they have completed 10% of the work; this helps shed light onany confusion that may have arisen during the briefing process and saves you the stress of an unexpected outcome further down the line.

3. Practise saying no

Saying no sets boundaries and can be incredibly empowering, which is why it’s so important for your happiness.

Knowing your professional boundaries is integral to nurturing your strengths and setting yourself up for success. Whether you don’t have thecapacity to give a task the attention it deserves, or it falls outside of your realm of expertise, delegating shows diplomacy and leadership, giving somebody else the chance to impress in the workplace.

4. Develop your strengths

At this point in your career you have a clear idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie and realise, as a business owner or manager, you can’t be expected to know everything.

Which is why it’s important to develop your unique talents, knowledge and skills and not waste your time and stress levels on tasks that are outside your realm of know-how – especially when there is someone already qualified to complete the task in a quick turn-around time.

Not a designer, financial advisor or book keeper? Employ trustworthy and skilled staff, pay them well, and focus your attention on the bigger picture.

5. Team happiness

Trust is the basis for a healthy work environment. If you’ve delegated an assignment to someone, then holding them accountable for their work and trusting their abilities and decisions is key. This leaves you to apply your efforts to your own expertise.

Your PA or employee will also feel a sense of responsibility and be boosted by your trust in them. This not only fosters a sense of loyalty but makes your work environment that much more pleasant. Team morale does well, and people are left feeling valued.

It goes without saying that this trust also means that you will back them up when they make a mistake. They must feel they have your full support when things go south of the border for them to perform their tasks to the best of their ability. If they make a mistake they will have learnt a valuable lesson and are even better positioned to make the right choices in future. Sticking by them will even further earn their loyalty.

Delegation may seem daunting at first, but once you have the hang of it, with well-trained employees to back you up, you’ll free up valuable time to focus on more important issues, cultivate your strengths and create a happy work environment, leaving you with more free time to focus on living your best life. What your top delegation tip?