The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
- Theodore Roosevelt

Delegation is to "Entrust a task, power or responsibility to another person."

Are you juggling multiple priorities? Do you have too much to do and not enough time? Is your staff unmotivated and not using their spiritual creativity? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then you definitely need to read this management-training tip.

Delegating is one of the most important tools you have but is one of the easiest to be neglected. Apply these management principles and watch your staff and ministry jump to the next level. This is your leadership development program.

Benefits of Delegation:

• Helps create a "team spirit" and team environment
• Provides you with more time for yourself and to do the more pressing work
• Promotes training and experience to more people
• Builds self-esteem in the delegate
• Conveys your trust in the delegate
• Promotes creativity, motivation and morale
• Makes your subordinate feel important and significant
• Establishes a "win-win" situation

How to Delegate:

• Find the right person for the job. If they can do it 80% as well as you, then delegate.
• Delegate to the person's area of talent or skill or what they like to do (They may not do the task as well as you at first, but you are investing into them and that will develop them into leaders).
• Explain exactly what you expect of them and provide them with the resources they need.
• Establish a goal, a deadline, boundaries, report system and evaluation upon completion (People may not do what you expect but they will do what you inspect). Also make sure they are in agreement with doing the assignment.
• Be generous with encouragement. Give praise at each stage of progress and help them only if and when they need it. If they seem to be losing ground you can assign another helper to them.
• Upon completion give praise and correction. Listen to their ideas and then give more praise (establish a good reward system).

What not to do in Delegation:

• Don't "Micromanage" (the process of controlling every detail and decision needed to run an organization or department which develops a relationship of dependence).
• Don't allow "reverse delegation" (allowing the subordinate to get you to do the work you've assigned to them).
• Don't start them out on high priority projects.

Action Plan Now!

• Write out your Daily Action List and also your main obligation.
• Identify your boundaries of delegation. Which are the ones you cannot delegate. For example: Sunday preaching or conducting the new membership class.
• Mark the ones that can be delegated, choose the delegate and write their name beside it.
• Set a meeting with the people involved and ask them for their help with the activity.
• Convey to them clearly your instruction and the goal for the activity.
• Set a date and time to follow up with them.

A Biblical Example
Jesus delegated everything to the church. Paul said to commit to faithful men (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Moses delegated the judging of the people to God-fearing men of truth over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens (Ex. 18:13-27; Num. 11:17).

The disciples delegated the distribution of relief supplies to the faithful seven "... and the word of increased and the number of the disciples multiplied..." (Acts 6:1-7).

What can you start delegating today? When can you or someone else teach your staff to delegate? If you are not a professional juggler, it is time to set delegation principles in action. Never put off till tomorrow what you can delegate today!

"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" (Matt. 10:1).

Copyright © Jim Harper Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.