Can GTD help with delegation

I have a problem with delegation. It has occured to me today, as it had in the past, that I'm totally bogged down with too much work and the recent stuff I have been doing could have been delegated to others. However, by the time I've realised this its too late as things need to be done very quickly and there is no remaining time to breif and train up someone else for the tast in hand.

So, I have a list of "intentions" (sort of areas of focus) and "delegate more" is on the list. I have started a project "develop a clear plan of how to delegate more". I have put "consider which present and future projects/actions I could delegate" on my list of things to do in my weekly reviews.

So I will be developing a plan. I think it is mainly about developing different habits and approaches but I need to work out how to do this. Any insights on how you have managed to delegate more would be useful.

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Originally Posted by tominperu

Any insights on how you have managed to delegate more would be useful.

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Some two cents:

• Remember "others" are not you. So it's great obtain only a certain part. Not all I mean
• Try to apply the same GTD system you use. Define the outcome and plan with them, as we do action by action
• Waiting for list, it's a must!. Can help to give the direction and receive the feedback

Maybe a print out in one place or another of a workflow diagram with the DELEGATE IT option highlighted in orange? ;)

And yes, Waiting For will be a must. If you have just a few individuals who you delegate to, maybe more regularly reviewing your Waiting for's will inspire you to give them more to do? "You know since Bob is doing X and Y, it makes sense for him to be doing Z too." Then shoot off an email to Bob, go see him or whatever. Maybe?

If you're a perfectionist delegating will be difficult but there's no getting around it on large projects.

Here's how GTD can help (in my opinion):

Process work flow. Look closely at the delegation part of the work flow model. Every task should be subjected to the "Am I the best person to be doing this?" sort of question. Clear horizons of focus may help determine how much of a priority the task is for you personally.

Outcomes thinking. Instead of poorly articulated or implied expectations, negotiate clear agreement on outcomes.

"Review" - Track progress frequently - i.e. don't have a single final milestone but several intermediate deliverables. I don't mean you should micromanage but IMHO until you get to know someone really well you have to "trust but verify" as the saying goes.

People approach delegation in different ways, from the extreme micro management of giving people small, well defined tasks to telling people the outcome you want and leaving them it.

The former fits well with "next actions" and the latter with "begin with the end in mind" from 7 habits.

Because of the extra overhead that GTD places on task management, micromanaging using GTD could prove expensive.

In addition to what others have said, this is what you can do to get a kick start: Go through a mini review (30 minutes? 1 hour?) of all your projects and actions, only focusing on what could be delegated. It may reduce your current workload substantially.

Regards,
Abhay

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Originally Posted by malisa

Maybe a print out in one place or another of a workflow diagram with the DELEGATE IT option highlighted in orange? ;)

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Thanks for the suggestions and ideas. Most of them I've thought of myself but not this one!