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Time Management
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12. Praise/Suggest Improvements. Physically, it’s not easy to
pat yourself on the back. Emotionally, it’s very easy. Delegating
was an achievement for you.
If you succeeded, congratulate yourself. But also give credit
where credit is due—to the people to whom you delegated.
Their success doesn’t diminish yours; it enhances it. If your own
boss is wise, he or she will instantly recognize that.
What if things didn’t turn out as well as you wanted? At least
recognize the effort, suggest improvements for next time, and
transform the whole process into a learning experience for you
and for the person to whom you delegated.
Delegating is a subtle art. It requires careful thought and
wisdom. Each solution to a delegating problem must match the
needs of the people involved. Effective delegation is a key con-
cept in time management. And it’s an old lesson. (Consider
this, for example: Santa Claus might have an easier job if he
delegated some of those chimneys to elves whose small stature
would be better suited to the task.)
But there’s another important way to avoid unwanted or
inappropriate work—learning to say “no.” Is it really feasible?
Yes—and Chapter 7 will show you how.

Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 6

❏ You can delegate not only downward, but also laterally and
upward.
❏ Delegate tasks you don’t like but that others might like
and tasks for which others are better qualified than you.
❏ To delegate effectively, get past the fear of losing control,
of thinking you’re the only person who can do it right, the
belief that you’ll look bad or that you don’t have the
authority to delegate, or the fear that you’ll become dis-
pensable.
❏ Follow all 12 steps to effective delegation and flowchart
the tasks delegated to ensure that you and others under-
stand them.