This video is an excerpt from a live training session with Chrissy Scivicque, Career Coach & Corporate Trainer. The full video (“Overcoming an Overwhelming Workload”) is available in the Career Success Library.

The article below summarizes the video content.

A lot of people, particularly Administrative Professionals really struggle with delegation. They often say, “Well, I don’t specifically have anyone that is necessarily under my purview, like someone that I supervise, that I can very easily delegate to.”

If that’s the case, I want you to consider other forms of delegation. Because it’s not simply about the idea of someone in a supervisory position handing work to someone below them on the org chart. That’s not always what delegation looks like. There are other ways to delegate. It’s about finding the right person and sharing the work in the right way.

Responsibilities that Belong to Others

There are perhaps some responsibilities that you’re taking on that rightfully belong to other people. Look at your responsibilities, look at everything on your plate and say, “Does this truly belong to me? Is there someone who really is better equipped to be doing this or whose role this really is?” If so, get that work to the right person. If others are coming to you, redirect them to the right person.

Someone Else Wants the Responsibility

There may also be someone on your team who actually wants to do some of the things you have on your plate. They might be sitting there saying, “Gosh, I wish I could learn how to work on those presentations, I wish I could have that project on my plate because I want to develop that skill set. And heck, I need some more things to be working on!” There might be someone like that on your team, who really wants to take over some elements that you currently have on your plate. So, consider that as an option.

Teach People to Fish

We also want to think about the idea of teaching people to fish. Sometimes, people may be coming to you to have you do things that they truly could be doing themselves, if they simply knew how to do it or if they had a cheat sheet that walks them through how to change the ink and then the copier, for example. Thing of those things that people are coming to you for that you’re thinking to yourself, “Gosh, they really could do this on their own. Why am I spending this time doing this?” Think about how you might be able to teach them to fish. Can you create a cheat sheet, some sort of a walkthrough and instruction pamphlet for them so that the next time they ask you to do something you can say, “Actually, I’ve got a cheat sheet here so you can walk through it yourself.” Teach them to fish so that they’re not continuously coming to you to get the fish for them.