How to Give Parts of Your Job to Someone Else

What can you do when your plate gets too full at work? If working overtime just is not the solution, it may be time to divide up some of your job tasks and give them to someone else. This is not advocating being a big slacker and dumping key parts of your job on to unsuspecting coworkers, but here are some tips for sharing job tasks and making the entire workplace more efficient and productive.

If you are unable to complete all your job tasks due to a work load that is too heavy or some other reason, overall productivity and efficiency on the job is likely affected. If others are depending on you completing your tasks in order for them to be productive, you might be holding up the "show" by not finishing your work. If it is possible and permitable, you may be able to give some of your tasks and parts of your job to someone else.

Consider whether you need supervisor approval to hand off parts of your job and make sure that you discuss your intentions with your supervisor or boss if that is appropriate. For example, there may be a piece of your job that just doesn't fit and it would be much better suited to another position. Share your opinion with your supervisor and offer the solution. If you can make a practical case for the change, your supervisor will likely support your giving tasks to the other position.

Make sure that you share any information, materials, and provide the necessary training when you hand off the tasks. No one likes to have something dumped on their lap (or desk) that they are ill-prepared to handle. If you are passing off a project or something else you have been working on, make sure to pass along all the notes, resources, background information and other details so that the person assuming the project or task is prepared to take things on. Additionally, make yourself available for a limited time to answer questions and provide support for the new person assuming the task-this way you can hand things off with support and they will not be as likely to come back around to your work queue.