Until we learn the art of strategic delegation, we will be inundated by an infinitely long to-do list. Think about it: every new idea you bring as a leader creates four or five more tasks. How can you get it all done?
The embarrassing truth is that we will try as hard as we can to get it all done on our own — because we feel like if it’s going to be done right, we’ve got to do it. When we care deeply about the quality of the work, we can be reluctant to let it go. But just because someone approaches the work differently doesn’t mean their work isn’t good enough.
The purpose of delegation is not to dump unwanted responsibilities into someone else’s lap. Delegation increases personal and organizational capacity, which allows leaders and the organization to do more of what they need to do and more of what God has called them to do. Delegation is also about development. When you assign a team member a task, the increased responsibility allows them to demonstrate latent competencies. New work also gives people a different and broader view of the institution and their role within it. This holds true for both paid staff and volunteers.
The key to effective delegation is to discern what needs to be done and assign the work to someone who has the skills to get it done. Agree on the front end that you will check in at certain intervals and be sure the person understands the purpose behind the work. The more leaders learn to delegate purposefully, the more they can thrive as they contribute to a healthier organization.
Resources
Who is responsible? Ideally, more than one person
Becoming too reliant on any single individual can challenge a system and require recalibrating for growth and adaptation to occur, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By David L. Odom
5 delegation lessons for church leaders
A balanced delegation of tasks may necessitate doing fewer activities and doing better discipleship training.
By Karl Vaters
How I lead from the middle
Serving as the second chair can sometimes devolve into micromanaging, but an AME minister employs three practices to help carry out a clear, consistent vision for her church.
By Natasha Jamison Gadson
Working better by working together
Leadership based on collaboration benefits everyone involved. And the work improves, too.
By Alaina Kleinbeck
Developmentally appropriate assignments are key to preparing leaders
Preparing colleagues to do an organization’s future work, while also making a meaningful contribution in the present, is the job of a supervisor, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By David L. Odom
Before you go
What’s helped me think about delegation is taking time to reflect on my core responsibilities. What are the tasks that I am uniquely trained to do that make the biggest contribution to the church’s mission? In my African American Protestant tradition, preaching is at the top of the list. Whenever possible, I try to delegate tasks that would interrupt my preferred sermon preparation schedule. If a community organization invites me to breakfast, I identify someone in the church whose interest aligns with the organization and ask them to represent the church.
A second question I ask is: what’s the best possible use of my time to ensure we are making progress on our shared vision? The answer to this question shifts more frequently than the answer to the first question. When the church is going through a capital campaign, a building program or launching a new initiative, the senior leader may find that she is very involved in the early stages. Once the team is in place and the vision is clear, she may be able to transition from an operational role to an advisory role.
Is it time for you to let something go? Whether your church is small or large, urban or rural, I can assure you that learning to delegate will be a gift to you and the congregation.
You can always reach me and the Alban Weekly team at alban@duke.edu. Until next week, keep leading!
Prince R. Rivers
Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity
Partner Resource
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