I stink at delegation. Well, at least that’s been my track record. I’ve always been the kind of guy who strives for perfection and carried the mindset that if you want it done right, do it yourself. Maybe my results would never be truly perfect, but at least if I failed, I could blame myself.
What a recipe for disaster! If I was ever going to do something bigger than myself, I needed to work with people other than myself.
Over the last year, I’ve been on a bit of a journey as I’ve gone from not only recognizing this recurring issue in my life to actually doing something about it. I’ve made decisions to give things away.
If there’s been a way to raise up someone to take a task off of my plate, I’ve done it. It’s been hard for me, but so worth it. I’ve had to take chances on people—which was truly the root of my problem. I’ve done my best to see people how I believe God sees them—with their greatest potential in mind. I’ve had to learn not to cringe when they do things wrong. Instead, I’ve done my best to show kindness to them in their mistakes, while still being honest about how they can do better.
I’ve still got a ways to go. I definitely have not mastered the art of teamwork or delegation and I’ve still got several things that I’d like to give away. But there’s been a noticeable shift in how I do ministry and it’s changed my life. I’m still a busy guy, but I’m no longer overwhelmed with stress as I’ve been in the past.
The best part? People will really surprise you. Sometimes they do things better than you ever thought possible and come up with ideas that you’ve never imagined. You’re better together than you’ll ever be alone.
What things can you give away?
I need to follow in your footsteps and do the same thing. I’ve realized this for a while, but I’m working on being a better teacher so those under me know why and how we do things – not just what to do. It’s tough when the training time is mostly in fairly high-pressure environments on Sunday morning. But I’m working on it.
Thank you for the post!
“It’s tough when the training time is mostly in fairly high-pressure environments on Sunday morning.”
That’s definitely one of the hardest things to overcome. I’ve recently let my new media volunteers come and observe on Sunday mornings to get a feel of everything. Then, sometime during the week I get them to run media to an audio recording of the last service.
But truthfully, there’s nothing like them experiencing it live and firsthand. I just try to aim for low-pressure services outside of Sunday morning first.
I feel your pain! I’m the Youth Pastor, Assistant Pastor, AV guy, one of the sound guys, bass player, Sunday School teacher, etc at my church. I’ve got so many hats, it has become hard to wear them all properly. My wife constantly says that we need to, “stop the glorification of ‘busy’,” and I’ve learned that means that I have to train people to help me. The problem is that I’m a perfectionist and a control freak (don’t tell my wife I said that ????) and its hard to give things to other people to do. I’m being forced to learn this lesson through the use of time constraints. All in all, I know that it’ll help me in all of my ministries if I can learn to share the burden better.
“…share the burden better.”
This was probably just a common phrase for you when you typed this, but my friend, ministry had seriously become a BURDEN for me. Truthfully, it was time constraints that really helped me through this process and what continues to help me. It’s really tough for us perfectionists, but we have to let go to go farther.
Best of luck, Mike!
It is so relieving seeing that I’m not the only one struggling with this issues. I’m definitely working on delegating and accepting that just like someone once gave me an opportunity to prove myself, I need to do the same. I love reading every single one of your posts, they’re always so inspiring and helpful.
Thanks for the post, blessings.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Kathia. That’s exactly what I try to keep in mind. Someone gave me a shot and it changed my life. I want to be THAT GUY for someone else.
As I have worked to learn the art of delegation I have learned a couple of items. When I delegate I need to make sure I give as much clear direction as needed and to be available if needed. I have been prone to give away and forget. Forget is not a good thing.
I have also found that in the church world some people have a hard time with the freedom to create a task. Many have been a part of churches where the Pastors did everything. They will need a little encouragement and coaching to get them going.