Mentoring Lessons- Delegate, Get More Done.Näide

The Art of Delegation

Can I give away control while keeping things under control?

For many leaders, delegation holds different meanings. For micro-managers, it’s giving instructions so the work can be done exactly as they would do it themselves. For others, it’s a chance to multiply productivity, broaden responsibility, unlock creativity, and grow capacity.

Giving away control is scary — and can be risky if leaders are not fully aware of what’s at stake. For this reason, many prefer to play it safe and avoid delegating altogether.

I had to learn this the hard way. As a leader, I used to assume I knew the most and had all the answers. But those under me felt used and undervalued. There was no sense of ownership or participation. As a result, very little was achieved.

There is a continuum of delegation— a scale ranging from low-impact delegation: “Do it this way and show me when it’s done,” to high-impact delegation: “Take care of this for me. I trust you.” Along this scale, it’s up to the leader to decide how much space they will allow for someone’s capacity, creativity, judgment, and decision-making.

Healthy delegation is good for everyone on the team. The key is choosing the right tasks to delegate — ones that contribute to the growth of each individual. As levels of delegation increase, the leader’s influence decreases while the team member’s influence grows.

As leaders walk alongside others using this delegation scale, they build the team’s overall capacity, allowing members to bring their personal insights and strengths and freeing themselves to focus on what they are truly called to do; to lead.

Scripture to Ponder–Exodus 18:14, 18, 21 (NIV)

“Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening? … The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. … But select capable men from all the people — men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.”

Key Lesson:

Delegation unlocks the potential best suited for each person on the team.They contribute their uniqueness to the beauty of the outcome, while the leader is freed to lead with focus and purpose.