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What Can You Delegate?
What types of tasks should you delegate? Two categories come
to mind: How to Delegate Effectively 73
1. Tasks you don’t want but that others might.
2. Tasks for which someone else might be better qualified.
A good place to begin exploring delegating possibilities is
with a list of daily tasks—particularly routine ones—that might
fit into either of the above categories. If you can find even one
or two routine tasks that you might be able to delegate, you’ll
free up time to do those things you simply cannot delegate.

Why Is It Hard to Delegate?

Why is it so hard to delegate? One possible reason: dark, irra-
tional thoughts may block the path. Here are six key reasons
people give for not delegating a task. Ask yourself which ones
most often apply to you.

Don’t Waste Your Time
Most tasks that cost more for you to do than for someone
else are a waste of your time.Your value as an employee,
manager, business owner, or officer consists in those special skills that
you alone bring to your job.
So what kinds of tasks could you consider delegating or outsourc-
ing, to maximize your value to the company? Some obvious examples:
• Database management
• Filing/clerical work
• Research
• Proofreading
• Telephone calls for simple information
• Making appointments
• Word processing
• Sales and marketing
• Computer programming
There are many other kinds of duties or tasks that you may find
smart to delegate. Anything that can be done by someone who is paid
less than you would be a prime task to delegate or outsource.