Do you want to learn how to delegate tasks at work?

Are you looking for some productivity tips to make the process easier for yourself?

You’re constantly busy as an entrepreneur.

You put in long hours at the office, make difficult decisions, and work hard.

But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your work, there’s a good chance you need to delegate tasks.

It may seem counterintuitive, but delegating tasks can actually make your work easier.

Doing so allows you to free up valuable time, space, and energy so you can focus on work that only you can do.

In this blog post, you’ll find five smart tips that will help you efficiently delegate tasks in the workplace.

Give yourself space to think.

You can’t properly delegate tasks if you’re sitting in a vendor meeting or chatting with a client about a project.

You need sufficient physical time and space for you to consciously review and delegate tasks.

Physically schedule time into your calendar to review projects.

Even as little as fifteen minutes can make a huge impact on your work.

Remember, you’re not delegating tasks because you don’t have anything else better to do.

You’re doing it so that work may be completed satisfactorily, on time, and under budget.

It’s time to drop the “I don’t have time to delegate,” line. Put delegation planning sessions booked in your calendar.

Identify the best candidate for the job.

Delegating tasks isn’t about giving tasks away to people at random.

You must thoughtfully identify the best candidate for the job.

Ask yourself whether tasks are better accomplished by yourself or someone else on your team.

Above all, don’t let personal bias get in the way.

Be brutally honest with yourself.

Who has the right skill set for this type of work? Who is physically available? Who can complete the work in a timely fashion? Who has the power to make key decisions?

If you cannot identify someone internally, and/or the work is outside of your area of expertise, it may be a sign you need additional help.

Hire an outside vendor, consultant, or freelancer to get the desired results you seek.

Delegate multiple tasks at a time.

It’s far easier to identify tasks and assign them to others in one swift action.

You’ll not only keep people occupied with work for longer periods of time but will give yourself ample time to do your own work.

Another bonus to this approach is that you gain a better sense of exactly what needs to be prioritized in your business.

You can make more informed decisions when you’re looking at projects and assignments from a bird’s eye view.

Make note of delegated tasks.

Delegating tasks to others doesn’t absolve you from keeping tabs on tasks.

If you run your own business, you still need to know what’s going on so you can make timely decisions.

Keep track of any and all tasks you delegate to others.

Memories tend to fade over time, so note the delegated task, date, due date, and task owner.

Follow up in a timely manner.

Whether you’ve given someone partial or full permission to work on a project, you’ll still want to be aware of their progress.

Depending on the breadth and depth of a project, you may want to schedule brief check-in meetings and in-depth review meetings with delegates.

Be sure to add these meetings to your project and daily calendar so you can follow up with people in a timely fashion.

Learn how to Manage tasks at work

Time management is an important skill that everyone should learn and practice if they want to be successful at work.

My time management guide can help you learn how to prioritize tasks, manage time in meetings, and arrive on time to appointments.

If you want me to help you manage your time at work and at home so you get things done and feel in control, then check out my time management coaching services.

How about you? Which of these tips resonated most with you when it comes to delegation? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

This post originally appeared on Inc.com.