Making Effective Decisions and Prioritizing Tasks : An Introduction To “Do It, Delegate It, Dump It” Framework
In business, entrepreneurs often find themselves juggling a host of tasks with limited time at their disposal. A key aspect that separates successful business owners from the less successful is their ability to make effective decisions and prioritize tasks in a way that maximizes productivity. Today, we’re going to delve into a strategic framework that business owners can use to manage their tasks effectively. It’s called “Do It, Delegate It, or Dump It”.
Understanding The Framework: “Do It, Delegate It, Dump It
This framework is quite straightforward to understand. You categorize all your tasks into either ‘Do It’, ‘Delegate It’, or ‘Dump It’ based on certain parameters.
Do It: These are critical tasks that rely solely on your skills and expertise as the business owner. For instance, mandating big decisions, formulating strategic plans, nurturing important relationships, executing legal works all fall under this category.
Delegate It: This category is all about productivity and efficiency. Certain tasks are necessary but do not need your personal attention. Administrative tasks, data entry work, screening emails- these are jobs that can be easily outsourced or delegated to your team. The aim is to free up your time and empower your team members by giving them responsibilities.
Dump It: Not all tasks are essential. Some of them add little to no value to your business, consume unnecessary time, and divert your attention from more important tasks. For instance, excessive meetings, networking events, and other irrelevant activities that are misaligned with your goals should be dumped right away.
Effective Implementation of The Framework
The first step towards implementing this framework is self-assessment. Write down all the tasks you’ve been handling, the time spent on each, and whether you enjoy them or not. This will form the basis of your task categorization.
Assign the tasks into “Do It”, “Delegate It” or “Dump It” based on their urgency, importance, and value. Remember, the ‘Do It’ tasks should be the ones that only you can handle and are integral to your business operations. The ‘Delegate It’ tasks are important but they can be performed by others if trained properly. And the ‘Dump It’ tasks are those that are not urgent, low in value, distracting, and not helping you attain your business goals.
Delegation demands planning. Choose suitable team members for the tasks, train them if needed, conduct follow-ups, and gradually build trust in their ability to handle the tasks efficiently. You might find video recordings an effective training tool.
The dynamism of businesses necessitates regular re-assessment of tasks and categories. As your business grows and changes, so does your workload and roles. Therefore, you should reevaluate your tasks and perhaps reshuffle them across the three categories accordingly.
This framework is a simple yet potent tool that assists you not only in effective decision making and task prioritization but also ensures that your time and resources are invested in value-add activities that propel your goals.
Remember, successful business management is not just about doing things right, but about doing the right things. The “Do It, Delegate It, Dump It” Framework is a guiding light to help you discern the right things to do!