Spreading the Jobs

I'm finally learning. To delegate that is.

I don't know if I mentioned that I'm the editor of our community newspaper. When asked to do it, I thought why not. Then I realized my basic problem. I find it very hard to delegate, after all no one can do the job as well as I. As an example of this attitude, when my son was 11 months old, my husband and I went to Washington DC for 2 1/2 days. My mother came over to the house to stay with the baby.

My mother had raised two children with no problems, she never had to visit an emergency room. But, I felt it necessary to give her four sheets of handwritten instructions on the care of her grandchild who she saw on a weekly basis. I find it that hard to give up control and delegate jobs.

Today's meeting was different. As I went through the upcoming events, I asked who would be covering it. When someone suggested a subject for an article, I told her to do the article. I actually assigned most of the articles to someone else and kept just one for myself.

I think I'm actually learning to delegate. It feels so good.