Jeremy Tauri: Delegate for more effective workflow

It takes some practise and patience to delegate. Photo / Thinkstock

There's no doubt about it: Everyone needs help in business.

If you're good at what you do it's inevitable that there will be people wanting you to do more work for them.

But how hard you're working shouldn't be measured by how many late nights you spend working in the business, or judged by the time of day you're answering business emails.

If you're feeling overwhelmed and a bit stressed by the volume of work you have on your plate, put aside your pride and look for others to bring something to the table.

I start my day by preparing a list of tasks to delegate, so I can then focus on the work I really need to do.

At the beginning, getting help may seem more trouble than it's worth. But think of it as an investment: Spending the time to teach someone something now means later on you won't have to repeat the training or the task at all - that's a return worth having.

Choose the right person to delegate to. Don't let it get into a situation where they are constantly coming back to you with questions - encourage them to try to come up with the answers themselves, first.

It takes some practise and patience to delegate - don't expect the person you delegate to, to complete the task in the time you would first time.

Use the S.M.A.R.T principles: tasks should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and have a Timeframe.

Delegation is about working smarter, having the ability to look at projects and tasks and decide when to pass them on to others, without interfering or micromanaging. Delegation is a leadership skill that's also an effective way to manage time. Don't waste time on tasks that someone else could be doing. If you're a great builder, you should be spending your time doing that, and paying someone to do the things that you're not so good at.

An effective leader knows how to get the job done within a reasonable amount of time and still have a healthy life.

Acknowledge and reward your team when tasks are completed. You'll know you've got it mastered when you come in to work each day and find your staff ready and waiting for more work to be passed their way.