In today’s episode of the Leader Fluent Podcast, I’m talking about, “Delegation in 3 Simple Steps.” Delegation is critical, but it also requires an intentional process. In this episode, I’ll share three simple but profound steps to help you delegate effectively. 

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SHOW NOTES:

Delegation is a critical part of leadership. Not only does delegation allow you to create a sustainable pace, but it also helps you cultivate a people-development culture. 

One of the greatest delegation examples in Scripture is the story of Moses and Jethro. One day Jethro, who was Moses’ father-in-law, came to visit him. After watching Moses carry out his duties, he said these words: “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” (Exodus 18:14, NLT). 

Notice how Moses responds to Jethro’s question: “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions” (Exodus 18:15-16, NLT). 

Jethro could have patted Moses on the back and said, “Wow, sounds tough. I’ll pray for you, Moses.” Instead, Jethro looks at Moses and says, “This is not good!” Isn’t that what you’d love to hear your father-in-law tell you? 

But then he told him why it wasn’t good. He said, “You’re going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself” (Exodus 18:17-18, NLT). So, what does effective delegation look like? Consider these three steps. 

1. PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Delegation doesn’t begin by giving anything away. Instead, delegation begins by determining what NOT to give away. You have to start by identifying your priorities so that you know where to focus your time and energy. That’s what Jethro did with Moses. In Exodus 18:19-21, Jethro basically told Moses to do three things: 

Be the people’s representative before GodTeach the people God’s decreesSelect capable leaders 

In other words, Jethro helped Moses identify his highest priorities before he ever delegated a single responsibility. And we have to do the same. How? Start by asking yourself three questions: 

What are my job requirements?What are my greatest strengths?Where do I get the greatest return on my investment of time? 

Your answers to these three questions will reveal your priorities. However, where your answers overlap and intersect reveals your highest priorities. Then, once you’ve identified your highest priorities, create a second list with everything that you should delegate. 

2. TEAM EMPOWERMENT

Team empowerment is all about empowering your team with responsibilities and opportunities. It’s handing off the things that fall outside of your highest priorities and entrusting them to your team. So, where do you start? Start with the four “A’s” of delegation. What are the four “A’s” of delegation: Assignment, Authority, Accountability, and Affirmation. The first “A” is…

Assignment: Who should I delegate these responsibilities and opportunities to?

Authority: What authority do I need to give to the person I’ve delegated a responsibility to? 

Accountability: How do I need to hold accountable the people I’ve delegated responsibilities to? 

Affirmation: How can I best support and encourage the people I’ve delegated responsibilities to?

Without these four steps, you’ll have nothing more than order takers. Captain Michael Abrashoff once said, “If all you give are orders, then all you will get are order takers.