Delegate Without Assuming

I feel there were mistakes made which could have avoided the ensuing crises. I also feel that these could have been avoided had assumptions not been made.

So let's review some basic steps that should be taken whenever you delegate a project to someone whether it's an in-house employee or a virtual contractor.

• Project overview: When you hand over a project, make sure the overall scope is understood by the preparer. For example, you want a postcard mailing to go out to a specific neighborhood.
• End result: Make it perfectly clear how you want the end result to look, feel and/or perform. If it's postcard design, you want the recipients to feel motivated to act on the postcard. If it's a new web site, you want viewers to feel your friendly personality come through in the design and context.
• Steps: If there are specific steps or programs that must be used in order to complete the project, make sure that information is discussed and provided. Whether you're delegating bookkeeping or newsletter preparation, ensure the preparer has access to the proper software.
• Priority level: You need to know beforehand what the priority level on your project is and convey that. Is it extremely important or can it wait? Is it a client proposal that must be done immediately or is it sending holiday greetings to customers that can be done over the course of a couple of weeks?
• Deadline: Beyond the priority level, you must establish a deadline for the project completion and share that with the preparer so they can arrange their schedule accordingly. Again, does that proposal need to go out today? Will you be happy if those holiday cards are in the mail by December 15th? Make certain this information is clearly spelled out.
• Updates: Do you want progress updates from the preparer during the course of the project? Establish how many or how often before the project begins. Do you want to know what's going on each step of the way? Or will a daily or weekly update suffice to keep you in the loop?
• Verify receipt: When you submit a project for completion, if you do not physically deliver it then it's your responsibility to follow-up and verify that it was received. This rule is doubly important if you consider the job to be a rush or if you submit it during non-business hours. Electronics are not perfect, so it is possible for emails, text messages or phone messages to get mis-delivered or not delivered at all. The intended recipient doesn't know they're missing an urgent message, so the burden can't possibly be on them.
• Emergencies: Although I understand wanting to allow time for unexpected obstacles when establishing a time-line or a deadline for a project, I feel that when the obstacle presents itself, it's time to push aside the safety barrier and be completely honest with the preparer. You've already lost the cushion and the project has automatically jumped into the "Urgent" category. Communicate honestly with the preparer and together you can negotiate an acceptable newly established drop-dead deadline.

The saying "When you assume, you make an a-- out of you and me" was created for a reason.

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