As a Product Leader, your role is crucial to driving business growth. But in order to succeed, you need to focus your time and energy on leading your team and shaping the product’s success. Too often, however, we get stuck in the loop of operational overload — handling day-to-day tasks that, while essential, pull us away from strategic goals. To break this cycle and reclaim your time, delegation is key.
What to expect when delegating
Operational tasks are vital, but with a bit of upfront effort and planning, they can be effectively delegated, freeing you to concentrate on high-value work. It’s natural to feel hesitant about delegating — perhaps you believe doing things yourself ensures they’re done correctly, or you worry that delegating will take longer than just handling it. But the risks of not delegating are significant: a study by the Harvard Business Review found that leaders who struggle to delegate spend a staggering 60% of their time on tasks best suited for others. Moreover, research by Gallup shows that CEOs who delegate well tend to generate 33% higher revenue for their organizations.
To start the process, consider beginning with the more time-intensive, operational tasks on your list — particularly those with a significant impact on the business that could benefit from a fresh perspective. It’s helpful to view delegation as a gradual approach, with different phases that allow you to stay involved as needed. In general, the delegation framework can be broken down as follows:
- First 10%: Coaching — explaining the task’s goal and providing context.
- Next 80%: Implementation — your role is mainly answering questions.
- Final 10%: Review — verifying the results and offering improvements.
Although delegation requires an initial time investment, it builds momentum over time. The more you delegate, the more you can trust others to handle operational work, leaving you with increasingly more time to devote to innovation, leadership, and the strategic direction of your product.
Why a Product Ops Assistant is ideal
Delegating works best when operational tasks are handled by someone who understands the specifics of Product Management. That’s why a Product Ops Assistant is ideal. Unlike a generic assistant, Product Ops Assistants are trained to support the full spectrum of operational activities related to product management.
The Product Ops Assistant is a newer role that differs from a Product Ops Lead or Manager in scope. A Product Ops Assistant handles more tactical tasks, working closely with you, but without owning full projects or initiatives as a Product Ops Manager would. However, Product Ops Assistants are not administrative assistants either — they don’t manage your email or personal tasks. Instead, they offer specialized support, deeply understanding the challenges you face as a Product Leader and helping you where it matters most.
Key tasks to delegate
With the wide range of tasks a Product Ops Assistant can take on, you might be unsure where to begin. A good starting point is identifying which operational activities are consuming the most of your time — these are prime candidates for delegation. Here are some examples:
1. Product
Product Ops Assistants are skilled at managing operational aspects of the Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC). If coordinating product releases is taking up too much of your time, delegate it to your assistant. They can document the release process, collaborate with development teams to create a reusable checklist, and ensure smooth execution. They can also establish a consistent communication plan for product updates. Another valuable activity to hand over is the operational aspects of roadmap management. Your assistant can gather input from stakeholders, maintain a central roadmap document, schedule review sessions, and keep everyone informed of changes.
2. Team Management
Recruiting and onboarding top talent can feel like a full-time job. But you can still grow your team without managing every detail of the hiring process. A Product Ops Assistant can take charge of drafting and posting job descriptions, screening resumes, coordinating interviews, developing onboarding plans, and even checking in with new hires to ensure a smooth transition — all while ensuring the team you’re crafting aligns with your vision.
3. Customers
While staying customer-centric is critical, you don’t need to handle every aspect of customer feedback yourself. Delegate the setup of feedback collection systems, regular monitoring of customer channels, and even the analysis of feedback to your Product Ops Assistant. They can provide you with a summary of key themes and actionable insights, so you stay informed without spending hours combing through data.
4. Stakeholders
Managing stakeholders can be complex and time-consuming. A Product Ops Assistant can collaborate with your team to develop a stakeholder map that categorizes and prioritizes stakeholders based on influence and interests. They can also help create and execute an engagement plan for gathering input from stakeholders, ensuring their needs are met without draining your time. This proactive approach simplifies managing stakeholder relationships and leads to better outcomes.
5. Goal-setting and performance
If your team struggles with prioritization, it may be due to a lack of clarity around team goals. Your Product Ops Assistant can document these goals, set up a tracking system, and regularly share progress updates with the team. Your Product Ops Assistant can serve as your ally in continuous communication, actively finding opportunities to provide consistent reminders about these goals during team meetings, reinforcing the importance of the work, keeping the team aligned with key priorities, and aiding in more informed decision-making.
For more detailed insights into what tasks you can delegate to a Product Ops Assistant, visit our How we help page.
Why delegation is essential for your success
Ultimately, the key benefit of delegating to a Product Ops Assistant is that it frees you up to focus on what really matters: building a strong team, delivering exceptional products, and driving long-term success. By taking on the operational load, a Product Ops Assistant allows you to dedicate your time to the high-impact activities that propel your business forward.
At Sharpa, we offer premium operational support tailored to Product Leaders. Our trained Product Ops Assistants are ready to contribute after only a brief onboarding. Don’t let operational tasks hold you back — get started today and we’ll set you up with a dedicated professional to help you reclaim your focus.
