Time Management - Marc Mancini
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74<br />
<strong>Time</strong> <strong>Management</strong><br />
1. I’ll lose control of the task.<br />
2. I’m the only person who can do it right.<br />
3. I’ll look bad for giving it to someone else.<br />
4. I’m afraid that I don’t have the authority to delegate.<br />
5. If the person to whom I delegate the task succeeds, I may<br />
become dispensable.<br />
6. I just never thought of it.<br />
Let Go!<br />
Most frequently, the reluctance to delegate is an expression<br />
of the need to retain control. As we pointed out earlier,<br />
attaining and holding control of situations is a necessary element<br />
of good time management, because it’s impossible to make efficient<br />
use of time when you’re at the mercy of people and situations outside<br />
your control.<br />
However, if you insist on retaining control of every detail of the situations<br />
you’re responsible for, you’re failing to understand the real<br />
nature and benefits of control. An important measure of your influence<br />
may be how well you can exert your authority in a way that<br />
allows you to extend that authority. Unless you can relinquish control<br />
of little things, you have little hope of extending your command over<br />
the big things.<br />
Sometimes, paradoxically, the only way to take control is to relinquish<br />
control over details that take up your precious time.<br />
Once you’ve pinpointed the emotional barriers to delegating,<br />
you should feel freer to consider the possibility of assigning<br />
duties to others. Only in very rare instances are the above reasons<br />
for not delegating actually valid—and that’s usually when<br />
you’re the appropriate person for the job.<br />
One final point: some people tend to overdelegate. It’s their<br />
way of shirking responsibility. That’s poor motivation.<br />
Another sin—to simply forget about a project once you<br />
assign it. A reminder: delegate, don’t abdicate.<br />
The Key Steps of Delegation<br />
Deciding to delegate is a minor part of the battle. Doing it right<br />
is a much bigger challenge.