Many of us believe “if you want a job done right, do it yourself” — but we don’t always have the time to do it ourselves. If someone can do the job 70% right, it’s a prime task for delegation.
Photo by Jeffrey Beall
Inc offers a formula to find the balance between perfection and feeling overworked. The article refers to CEOs, but you can apply the rule to any situation:
If the person the CEO would like to do the task is able to do the task at least 70% as well as they can — they should delegate it. Is it frustrating that the task won’t be done with the same level of perfection or perceived perfection that they could achieve? Sure! Let go of perfection. It’s easier said than done? Yes, certainly. But there is no place for perfection when it comes to delegation.
Sure, you can’t do this with every task. If the task is primary to your job, you should probably do it yourself. Look at your current to-do list and see if you can live with 70% performance on those tasks.
The 70% Rule — When to Delegate [Inc.com]
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