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Do you feel like you’re constantly pulled in a million different directions? 

It’s inevitable as a working mom. Our responsibilities at work and at home can stretch us too thin. When I feel like that, it’s a sign for me to take a break and look around and say, “Where can I delegate?” 

We need to delegate both at home and at work. I’m giving you tips for balancing work and parental duties and the steps you need to take to make sure that when you delegate, you do it in the right way.

Make sure that when you delegate, you do it in the right way.

Delegate like a pro at work

1️⃣ Make a list of the responsibilities that can be delegated.

What are the things that you must do, and what are the things that someone else can do? Write those down.

 2️⃣ Assess your team’s skills and strengths and match the task to the right team member or colleague.

It’s okay to phone a friend at work once in a while.

3️⃣  Clearly communicate the expectations and deadline to the person you’re delegating to.

You can’t just give them the work and expect them to know what’s in your head. Define and communicate what outcome you expect.

4️⃣  Provide the necessary resources and support. 

If they need a contact person for specific information or they need software added to their system, make sure you give them the resources to get things done.

5️⃣  Follow up.

Set specific times when you’re gonna check in to ensure that the outcome that you communicated to them is on track.

That’s how you delegate at work. At home, it’s not that different.

Clearly communicate the expectations and deadline to the person you’re delegating to.

Delegate like a pro at home

It’s extremely important for you to delegate at home too. Here’s what you have to do:

1️⃣ Make a list of all the household tasks.

Whether that’s daily tasks like preparing meals and picking up your kids at daycare or school or monthly tasks like paying bills, write them all down.

2️⃣  Look at your support system and see who can do what. 

This includes your partner, your children, people around you, and even services or apps you subscribe to.

3️⃣ Clearly communicate your expectations depending on their abilities.

In my house, I have a two-year-old and a four-year-old. Guess what our two-year-old can do? He can use one of those little handheld vacuums and vacuum up under the table and vacuum the chairs after we eat. 

Everybody can help. Everybody can pitch in. So just assess the ability of the folks in your house, and then assign based on that.

4️⃣ Follow up to ensure that the tasks that they’ve done are completed in the way that you want.

Let them know, “I’m gonna check in with you in 5 minutes.”

Do that check-in and complete the task.

The one thing I just want to caution you about is that if you don’t do the upfront steps of properly explaining what it is that you want, what the outcome looks like, and ensuring that the person has the right tools, you’re likely not gonna get the result that you want.

So make sure to take time to do those first steps and you’ll be on your way to delegating like a boss!

This is a skill you need as a successful working mom enjoying work-life harmony.

If you want to hear more from me, please go ahead and check out my podcast, The Savvy Working Mom, on your favorite podcast streaming platforms!