Ministry Management
Managing Delegation
(By Jim
Harper)
"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 important 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, 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.
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 (Exd 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."
Matthew 10.1
By:
Jim Harper
Missionary/Itinerate Minister
Founder of "Radical Church Growth"
Email:
jhm-acc@cfaith.com
Web site:
www.jimharper.org
U.S. Address:
Jim Harper Ministries
303 East 2nd Street #1032
Skiatook, OK 74070 U.S. phone: (619) 757 9453
We pray that these "Ministry
Management Tips" have been a blessing to you and will
help you grow your church or ministry. You may forward these
to anyone who may benefit from them.
Your feedback and comments
are welcomed. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
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