1. How to Delegate and Still Stay on Top of Things
Carol A Paronis
McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School

2. Two Separate Topics How to Delegate How to Stay on Top of Things
What to delegate
To whom to delegate
How to Stay on Top of Things
Communication
Flexibility
(Trust)

3. How to Delegate Know yourself Know what needs to get done
Strengths and weaknesses
Personality; boss, mentor, or micromanager
Know what needs to get done
Know the people and culture of your lab

4. How to Delegate Know what needs to get done What can be done by others
What needs to be done by you
Writing grants, papers
Reviewing
Ordering supplies
Experiments
Training
Equipment maintenance
Cleaning
Data Analysis
Administrative duties
Teaching

5. How to Delegate Know the people and culture of your lab
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses
Colleagues
Post-docs
Graduate students
Technicians
Interns / Undergrads
Overachiever
Slacker
Future colleague
Career technician
Worker

6. How To Delegate Don’t delegate only things you dislike
It sets a good example to show that you are willing to do what it takes to get the job done
Learn to delegate your least favorite things
This will keep your professional life full of passion

7. How to Stay on Top of Things
Have meetings
One-on-one meetings
Group meetings
Data meetings
Business/technical meetings
Daily, weekly, monthly meetings
Social meetings

8. How to Stay on Top of Things
Who does what?
Everyone is talented / has strengths
Give everyone some responsibility
Don’t delegate before arrival
Avoid pyramid schemes
Special cases:
Managers-in-training
How to stay on top of Post-docs

9. How to Stay on Top of Things
Communication with you
Stay in the lab
1 day per week or 1 hour per day
Consider an “open door” policy
Give positive feedback
Communication with each other
Overlap responsibilities

10. How to Stay on Top of Things
Be flexible; recognize changes
Personnel
New responsibilities
yours
theirs
Growing Pains