How Well Do You Delegate?

[Robert D. Richardson, III]

Discover ways to achieve more
Reduce stress by delegating effectively.
Church leadership boards and ministry teams exist for one reason only: to do jobs that are too large, too complex or too fast-changing for any one individual to do on his or her own. So why do so many managers within these organizations still try to do everything themselves?

Assigning work to others is an integral part of getting things done efficiently, however many people feel uncomfortable with delegating.

Do you ever say things like these to yourself?

"I'll do the best job here, so I'll do it myself."

"He'll resent being asked, thinking I should do the work myself."

"It's a boring job, so I'll 'lead by example' and do it myself."

"It'll be quicker if I do the job myself."

These are all common reactions to thinking about delegation. However, when you don't delegate you risk ending up with too much work, not enough time, and lots of undue stress. The belief that you can do it better and faster with fewer mistakes leads to a vicious cycle of too little time and too much to do.

But on the other hand, when you delegate, you risk not having the job done properly.

So where do you instinctively find the balance? Do you choose not to delegate, and end up stressed-out and exhausted, or do you delegate, and risk errors and some frustration as a way of getting out of the not-enough-time-to do-anything-properly slump?

Please offer your comments and views.

[DeLano J. Sheffield Mdiv.]

I think the instinctive balance is understanding the telos, the objective end is not always the end of the task. Somewhere in the cumbersome aspects of leadership I believe at times we forget we (both leader and follower/ delegator or delegated, etc.) ultimately are trying to build relationships and ultimtely to see Gods glory (that is His reputation in particular) demonstrated through our lives. I'm not saying or advocating a job being done incorrectly or improper, I'm saying that perhaps the task is the means to the real job.

I find that accomplishing goals and things are done when asking myself "How do I know when WE win?" I think Christ leadership model is best, sometimes he delaged exactly what he wanted to acocmplish (Go here and you'll find a man, go show yourselve to the authorities, etc.) or times he gave instruction in principle (you'll be my witnesses in Judea, Samaria, etc.) and you see a variagated manner in the way those instructions are played out (some excessively liberal. I digress. Not germane to the topic.) And then there is some variation in between. You delegate based upon where people are. The highly motivated and competant need less instruction and you trust them to do it in their own personality. Those who aren't there, you lead them towards that model.

Of course this is all assuming we're supposed to be growing also. If not I suppose the best way is just to try to do it all ourselves. By accepting that mentality then I guess we're accepting being tired and the possibility of becoming synical also.

I suppose the simple way of saying it is if we are a club or organization then the priority is about the activity first. But if we are a called out assembly of believers whose whole existence is for His glory. Well then delegating takes on a whole new paradigm.