The real cost of a routine page
A fast typist can finish ordinary paperwork quickly, but speed is only part of the economic calculation. The key question is what else that person could accomplish in the same time. If an expert’s attention is needed for decisions, complex correspondence, or work that only they can do, spending it on routine pages carries an opportunity cost: the value of the better task left undone.
That can make delegation worthwhile even when the assistant takes longer to complete the typing. The expert’s time is scarce, and the assistant’s time may be less costly. The gain comes not from producing the same page faster overall, but from assigning each task to the person whose time is the better fit for it.
Delegation works when the work is clear
Routine tasks are easiest to hand off when they follow stable rules: a standard format, familiar terminology, and clear instructions about what needs review. The assistant can prepare the document, while the expert handles ambiguous wording or decisions that require specialized knowledge. This divides the work without pretending that every part of it is interchangeable.
There is a cost to the handoff. Instructions take time, and errors may require correction. If a task is unusually sensitive or difficult to explain, doing it personally may be more efficient. The practical test is whether the expert’s time freed up is worth more than the assistant’s pay plus the time spent coordinating and checking the work.
That is why the most productive typist may not be the one who types every page. Their greater contribution can be deciding what the pages should say—and leaving predictable production to someone else.
