By Thomas N. Hubbard
How can a busy professional become more productive when there’s only so much time in the day? Delegate more. This frees up your time so that you can spend it where it’s most valuable.
But just how valuable is delegation? After all, hiring others to work under you is costly, and coordinating them takes time.
In a recent study, my coauthor Luis Garicano and I decided to quantify the returns of delegation. We used data from thousands of law offices on how much partners make, how many associates work with them and how much those associates and other staff members cost the firm in salary and benefits. We found that delegating work to associates allows the median partner to earn over 20 percent more than they would otherwise. Top lawyers, who have the most skill to leverage, earn at least 50 percent more.
Should you be delegating—and earning—more? Here are some factors to consider.
- Take stock of the constraints on your time. If you’re swamped and find yourself having to turn down new work, you may not be delegating enough.
- Know what to expect from your staff. The employees you delegate to don’t need to have skills or knowledge distinct from yours. If they can handle even a small share of your workload, delegating may be worthwhile, as it will free you up to focus on what only you can do.
- The better you are, the better your staff needs to be. The greater your expertise, the more (and more complicated) problems you will be asked to take on. This means that you will have to delegate more, and you’ll need a larger and more skilled staff.
- Find a process that lets you delegate something and be done with it. Delegating well requires efficient, clear communication. Minimize your time spent in meetings, but not to the point that you need to have the same conversation twice.
- Invest in resources that make delegation easier. New technologies increase the returns from delegation. Don’t skimp on things that lower coordination costs and make collaboration easier.
Thomas N. Hubbard is a professor of management and strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.