[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:05] DC: Time is one thing we can’t make more of, but we can make more of what we do with it. Welcome to Time Management Tips in 20, where productivity expert Sarah Ohanesian, Founder of SO Productive, helps you take back your day one smart habit at a time. In each episode, Sarah shares practical, proven strategies to help you prioritize what matters. Get out of overwhelm and get more done without working more hours. Because when you use your time with purpose, productivity becomes less about output and more about making space for what matters most at work and at home. Let’s begin. Your time starts now.
[EPISODE]
[0:00:54] DC: Hey, everybody. Welcome to Podcasts From the Printerverse. This is Deborah Corn, your Intergalactic Ambassador. We are here with Time Tips in 20, Time Management Tips in 20 with Sarah Ohanesian, the Time Sherpa herself from SO Productive. Hello, Sarah.
[0:01:10] SO: Hi. How’s it going?
[0:01:11] DC: It is going well. I’m very excited for our topic today, because I think it is a subject that is a conundrum in a lot of ways, and we are going to be talking about delegation. Let’s just first start with the baseline. Why does delegation matter so much for time management?
[0:01:32] SO: I would like everyone to take a deep breath if the word delegation made you want to turn off this show and you said, “That’s not for me. I don’t have anyone to delegate to. That word stresses me out so much.” Just please stay with us, because we are here to help you today. Delegation is a big topic, and I want to point out that we naturally think of this as something that’s for big teams, and it’s for leaders only who have big teams. But it really misses the point there. Part of what matters so much about delegation is we each have limited time. We have limited capacity. We only have so many hours in the day. Sometimes we have to delegate work to either no one, meaning we’re just not going to do it, or we are going to delegate it to later, or we’re going to delegate it to another person, or a vendor, or a partner of some sort.
Please, please take this podcast today with an open mind and think about when we talk about delegation, that definition can mean different things. It just means we’ve got to put the work somewhere else, because it really is to be freeing you up. You only have so many hours in the day. Today’s episode is for Deborah and I to help you free up your time, because you just cannot do it all. That’s really the conversation around delegation today. Our calendars just fill up, and it’s really causing stress and burnout and overwhelm. It’s just not sustainable, and something’s got to give. Delegation is an opportunity for you to do that.
[0:03:10] DC: We had done a previous podcast where we spoke about delegation and in a different sense. I just want to define this conversation. In that conversation, we were talking about things like, “I’m going to finish this task, and then I’m going to delegate making dinner to Uber Eats, or to the Pizza Rio,” or something like that. You are delegating food to come, and you’re using that time that you would have gone to the grocery store to pick something up, or cooked it in the oven, or your air fryer, however you’re going to do it. Instead, you’re delegating that time to a service. Is that what you’re talking about incorporated into this? Or are you specifically talking about “work hour delegation?”
[0:03:57] SO: Great question. We are one holistic person. When I’m thinking about delegating, it’s all of it, and all of it is up for grabs, is what I would say. Go into this podcast episode today with a very open mind about personal, professional, certainly your food. What can you get off your plate? What could someone else, or an app, or a tool help you with? Delegate to AI even. It is what people have an open mind about what’s possible around delegation, because there’s usually more than you think.
[0:04:28] DC: Okay. Obviously, you’re a little obsessed with delegation, because you just got certified in delegation, which is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Tell everybody what that is and what is it called?
[0:04:41] SO: Yeah. I just got certified as a Let It Go Advisor. What that means is I was having a lot of clients asking me about delegation. Productivity is my world. That’s the lane that I live in. Part of that is this, well, how do I effectively delegate? That word and that conversation just kept coming up over and over again. Ironically, I had met this woman who literally wrote the book on delegation. The book is called Let It Go. Her name’s Emily Morgan. She’s a fantastic woman. Lives in the Philadelphia area. I met her and I thought, well, why am I going to reinvent the wheel here? I’m friends with this woman who wrote the book. She’s amazing. She’s got this entire ecosystem and process all figured out. Let me just get trained in her ways and share that good wisdom with other people.
It’s really about a real great framework around mindset, our mindset around what we’re willing to let go of, trusting other people, how do we practically hand things off, and just giving people framework and tools so that they can be more effective when they go to delegate. Deborah, it came from, yes, I’m excited about it, but two, solving a real problem for people. When people kept asking me about it, I was like, “I got to do more with delegation. The people are asking for it.” So, here we are.
[SPONSOR MESSAGE]
[0:05:57] DC: Supporting professional growth is good for people, and it’s great for business. When you sponsor Girls Who Print, you’re helping to deliver mentorship, leadership development, and career advancement tools to women across the print industry. Our annual sponsorship packages are designed to fit companies of all sizes with benefits that align with your goals, support equitable workforce development in your company and the industry, and elevate your brand. If you’re ready to stand out and step up to support Girls Who Print, visit girlswhoprint.org and download our sponsorship packages today. Empower long and prosper.
[EPISODE CONTINUED]
[0:06:42] DC: It’s interesting, because when I introduced this podcast, I said, there’s a conundrum over delegation. Some of it, I’m going to speak from my own personal experience. Some of it is like, “Hmm, I wonder if people are going to think that I can’t handle it if I’m handing it off to somebody.” Then there is the, okay, my not being able to get to it is causing everybody else to have a problem. Then there is the, if I give it to somebody else to do, I’m going to have to micromanage this project. It’s like I’m doing it twice. I might as well just do it myself. Discuss.
[0:07:21] SO: That will be on the T-shirt for why I don’t want to delegate, if there was one, right? It’s like, I should just do it myself. Because this is where we become a bottleneck. Again, I’m sorry if I offended everyone. Sorry, not sorry, but this might be something you need to hear if you just took a big gulp of water and spit it back out when I said that. You might be the bottleneck. I say that because I’ve been the bottleneck at certain points in my career as well. I recognize that concept of, ” I just need to do this myself. I’m the only one that can do it.”
It might be creating a problem for the other people on the team. Part of this conversation around delegation is where are you in the way? Where are you the problem? Again, this is a tough one. But if you’re feeling like, “I’m the only one,” it’s really thinking about, how could I? instead of making this negative of, “It can only be me. I’m the only one.” How could you give someone else an opportunity to try? Maybe they’re going to do it, and they’re actually going to come up with a different way. That different way works just as well, or potentially better. If you’re feeling this, I would think of a couple questions. What decisions keep coming back to you? Where is the work pausing? When you’re away, or you’re in a meeting, where is stuff getting held up because you can’t answer the team? What are the same questions that you keep asking over and over and over again? Then I think it’s a really critical thing to think about who on the team could I give an opportunity to? Who’s ready for some of this? Actually, where am I helping that next generation to have an opportunity to grow? If you’re just like, “Work can’t live without me,” that’s a sign that we got to unpack that a little bit more about why is that the case? Can you set people up to actually help you?
[0:09:29] DC: That position, though, is a top-level looking down, the description that you just shared. I always like to say, okay, but there’s a lot of people who don’t have that power, who are for no fault of their own, the bottleneck, because they’re the person who’s responsible for this. We all know that there’s human shortages in places. With the Gen Xers in charge, it’s like, “Oh, you can’t do your job. Isn’t that lovely to hear?” What is the advice there? Is there always someone to delegate to?
[0:10:13] SO: No, there’s not. That’s a real thing. When there’s no one – literally, there’s no one else to delegate to. I’ve got a small team, or there’s no one below me that I can pass this to on the chain.
[0:10:26] DC: Or quite frankly, no one else can program the website but me. I mean, there’s a lot of jobs that cannot just be transferred to other people. You don’t want me writing HTML code. Trust me on that one.
[0:10:40] SO: Here’s a couple of things to think about in those cases, which are valid, real, and see it on almost every team. We were talking about on a different episode, creating templates, checklists, automation, using AI. Can you essentially delegate to your future self by documenting a process? One thing I would think about is if you’re doing the same thing over and over again, and you’re like, “Oh, my God. How do I do that thing again?” Well, write a list, delegate it to yourself for next week, or next month, or next time you have to do that task templates, checklists, documents; that’s delegating it to yourself just at a later date. By doing that, it will save you some time. Deborah, if you’re smiling, it feels like you liked that one.
[0:11:24] DC: I love that so much. I realize I do that to myself on my Todoist list, but I didn’t realize I was delegating it to myself, but I am. I’m like, “Here’s a good idea for a blog post, bye.” Then future me goes and says, “Oh, I’m so glad I wrote that down, because I have a newsletter to do this week. Now I don’t have to sit here for 10 minutes thinking about what do I want to write about. I have a little stash of ideas that I collect.” I love that.
[0:11:55] SO: Yeah. Cheers for doing something amazing already; you don’t even know, especially for high-idea producers just so that the blog concept is a really good one, like future podcast episode. When the idea comes into your head, if you’ve got a good place to put it, that is delegating to your future self and it’s saving you time, then as you go to write that thing. That’s a that’s a great one. The other thing I would think about is trading with a peer. Someone who’s at the same level as you. Let’s say Deborah and I are on the same team and I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, Deborah, you are so great at writing HTML, and I’m really not. Could you do that? Then I’ll actually be in Canva working on the graphic for that. Because I’m a little better at that. You’re a little bit better at this. Can we trade?”
Part of it is thinking about real strengths, real weaknesses. Who else on your team could you do a little trade with? That can be an effective way, too. Delegate at the same level. Obviously, there might be a vendor or a contractor. Again, when you’re like, “We don’t have a big budget,” it’s thinking about a piece of it. You don’t have to do the whole thing, but could there be a piece of it? Now, awkwardly, we have to talk about delegating up. Sometimes one of the things we have to do is actually ask for clearer priorities. You might notice I’m not getting delegated to as effectively, but one way I could help this entire organization is by asking for that clarity that I really do need. I know that can be awkward. We’ve discussed this many times. But sometimes you’re actually delegating up. You’re helping the leadership be able to be more effective by stepping in and asking for a little more clarity.
Then the final piece of delegation, really when it’s just you, is to decide what you don’t need to do. We recorded an episode a little while ago about your email inbox, and you listen to that show as well. When can you just delete it? When are you just saying, “I’m just not going to deal with this thing, because it doesn’t matter”? Again, that is not because that’s a piece of your job you don’t like doing. We’re not saying that, but we’re saying this is just in the season that we’re in right now. Maybe I don’t have to do that right now. Deleting it or just saying, “You know what? I’m going to save that item for later.” Delegating it in that way can be effective as well.
[SPONSOR MESSAGE]
[0:14:11] SO: I’m Sarah Ohanesian, keynote speaker and corporate trainer. When companies call me in, it’s because their people are overwhelmed, burned out, stretched thin, and trying to do too much with too little clarity. Through my keynotes and workshops, I help teams rebuild how they work with clarity, alignment, and momentum that drives meaningful results. You can book me for your next team retreat, all-hands meeting, or an association event. Learn more about how I help teams work better at sarahohanesian.com.
[EPISODE CONTINUED]
[0:14:46] DC: One thing I’d like to say is that delegation isn’t a weakness; it’s actually a strength. If you’re not a manager, or not in a leadership position, and you are proactively making sure that your stuff keeps moving and setting people up to succeed, just like a job ticket, I mean, in advertising agencies, one of the reasons why you could just move around different advertising agencies is because the people change, but the process is the same. It is interchangeable. They might use a different system for estimate requests and things like that, but how the work moves around the agency who has to approve it is always the same.
Being able to just saying, here’s all my work, and all you have to do is say with the next step of all that work is, and then they just take it from there, because they’re going to follow the agency process. I don’t have to say, “Take it here, then take it there.” You have to make sure you’re delegating to the right people, so you’re not explaining what your job is. Regardless of that, if you hand it off, and when you come back from your vacation or whatever, and there’s no problems, and it’s smooth sailing, and you get everything back, everybody thanks you that there was no chaos while you were gone. By the way, you also don’t get texts and calls when you’re not in the office if you do it that way. It really is a strength if you do it correctly. If other people notice that you have set everybody up to succeed and not fail.
[0:16:28] SO: We didn’t even miss you when you were gone is a compliment.
[0:16:32] DC: Yes.
[0:16:33] SO: Because you set us up so well for success. Part of what makes – if you’re on this leadership side, or you’re on a leadership track, you want to be a good leader, lead, set people up for success. That is such a critical piece. If you come back from vacation and people said, “Oh, my God. It was complete chaos. Sorry, we had to call you every single day, and sorry you had to leave the dinner early.” That’s a red flag. That is a flag that you are potentially a bottleneck. If things keep coming back to you and people are too tied to you, like you’re a security blanket in a way. It’s very hard for people to thrive and grow in that type of environment, too. The best leaders hire people who are better than them, who are smarter than them, who can do the work in a more efficient manner. That’s really, to me, a definition of a strong leader. Again, we’re being a little tough on people today, Deborah, but I think it’s for the right reasons here, because your ego can really be a block for how much potential you have, honestly.
[0:17:39] DC: I think the point that I really wanted to make is that delegation isn’t just dumping stuff on people.
[0:17:44] SO: No.
[0:17:46] DC: There was one case where I dumped something, and I left for Italy. I went on vacation. I came back, I got called to the director of productions’ office, and I was put on probation, because nobody knew what was going on. The last thing you want to do is start getting the obnoxious account people in the room to, “Oh, nobody’s working on our account, and we’re not important around here.” It was a big, big problem. But if you do it correctly –
[0:18:18] SO: Beautiful.
[0:18:19] DC: – and overachieve on it, like overachieve on your delegation, then there’s more of a chance that people are not going to come back and ask you questions. It is a lot easier to delegate to somebody who at least understands what your job is. Would you agree with that?
[0:18:36] SO: I do. I think what you’re bringing up is really critical of this. It’s a two-way conversation. Delegation is not, “It’s midnight, and I wrote you an email. Please, do all these things. I’m getting on a flight to Italy at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, and you’re not going to have a chance to talk to me.” That is not effective delegation. Effective delegation is having a conversation around, like, what do you need? What’s expected of me? Deborah, we’ve talked about that clarity gap before; we’ve done some episodes on that as well. There’s often this gap in communication happening at work. This is a moment. We’ve got to close the gap. We’ve got to get on the same page, and when we’re in alignment on what those expectations are for this delegation, well, we’re going to have a two-way conversation that then we’re going to be successful. It’s really just so much of this comes down to good communication, open and honest communication, and setting other people up for success. That’s how you look good at work.
[0:19:27] DC: You’ve given a lot of great tips. If you could boil it down to one small delegation step somebody could take right now this week, next month, what would it be? Without overwhelming them, because it’s a conundrum and there’s a lot to absorb in what you’re, I was going to say, willing to let go of. You see? I’m in that same boat, but that’s how a lot of people think that, “Well, it’s my best client. I can’t let this go if somebody else’s working on it.”
[0:19:58] SO: At the end of the day, we only have so much time that we can give to everything that’s on our plates. It’s really about making sure that we’re working on the right things, the most impactful things. There are things that I am better at than someone else, and every one of us is. It’s really about thinking about, “What am I truly good at? This is a strength, and this is something that I truly should do.” Then effectively delegating the rest of it, and that gives other people opportunities as well. Part of this is really knowing our true strengths and what we’re really good at and what we can bring to the table and letting go of the rest, because we only have so much time in the day.
[0:20:39] DC: I’m going to delegate everything you need to know about Sarah to the show notes in this podcast. I want to thank you, Sarah, so much for your time. Congratulations on your Let It Go Advisor status. That’s hysterical. Until next time, everybody, print long, time management long, and prosper.
[END OF EPISODE]
[0:21:00] DC: Thanks for listening to Time Management Tips in 20. To connect with Sarah at SO Productive and find links for any resources we mentioned in this episode, just check out the show notes. Remember, all the great programming from Podcasts From the Printerverse is streaming 24/7 on printfmradio.com, the world’s first Internet radio station dedicated to print and graphic communications. Until next time, time manage long and prosper.
[END]
