Pastor's Blog

The Accountability Process in Delegation

Today we will talk about accountability, which is very important in delegation. Accountability is not just about telling people if they are getting it wrong, it is about keeping the very framework of the project in place. Accountability is security. By this I mean, accountability helps the team feel secure they are still on the right track. Accountability is done by meeting with the person you have delegated to and inspecting their progress. The length and frequency of the meetings are determined by several variables such as, time to completion and relationship between leader and team. Now here is what I mean by relationship. The more I have worked with someone, the less I have to explain. When you have worked with someone for a long time your trust level is greater and they have a better understanding of how you think. When working with a new person it will call for more meetings up front, but the rewards will far outweigh the time it takes.

 So, why is it important to delegate?  Yes, it is true you will get more done, but the main reason for delegation is you are empowering others. Now that is a reward!

Delegation through Connection

Yesterday I started talking about delegation. Today I want to continue with the keys to proper delegation. Today let's talk about connection. In delegating a project to someone, you must remember, it is still your project. You have to stay connected to the project. Now you don't do the work, you don't even have to make all the decisions, but you still have to be involved. Here is the process of connection. First, sit down and explain the project to the person you are delegating to. Well duh! A lot of times leaders just say something like "just do this for me, without explaining your desired outcome. So, to connect means to explain the project until you have a verbal commitment that this person understands. Next, come to an agreed completion date. Lastly,be available for questions throughout the project. During the project, a lot of things may change, so be flexible. Also remember, the people working on this project may not do it just like you, and that's okay. Who said you would be right about everything. There is still one important part to delegation, and we will look at it next time.

Delegation is not Dumping

In one of the online series I am doing I talked about growing leaders to the next level, and how to determine who would be going. In the February 20th blog, I said, there are basically four traits I am looking for. They are, integrity, influence, delegation, and empowerment. The first is a heart issue, and the other three are learned traits. We have talked about influence, so today I want to talk about delegation. I have had people say and I have said it myself, "I have delegated that, so, I don't have to deal with it anymore". That is not delegation, that is dumping. Let's look a little closer. To delegate means to give someone the right and responsibility to act on your behalf. When you delegate a project to someone, that person is accountable to you for the project, but you are still responsible of the project. In my thought process, I see two main keys to delegation, first is connection and then accountability.  We will look at this in detail next time. Until then...

Are You Holier THan Thou?

I'm doing this series at church on Bad Religion and one of my points is, "Religious people think they are holier or more spiritual than others". So, tomorrow I am talking about what makes someone a spiritually mature person. Let's see who is "Holier than thou" after Sunday! Here are some of my points. A spiritually mature person will 1. Love people the way Jesus loved people. 2. will be more concerned about helping others than hoarding up money for themselves. 3. be a person of patience. and 4. be able to control theirmouth.  For the whole message come to church tomorrow, or listen online. www.valleyword.org     See you there!

Bad Religion

I have been doing a series entitled "Bad Religion" this month. This series has been an opportunity for our church to look at ourselves and realize we have some bad religion. In Matthew 23, Jesus describes bad religion as those who are hypocrites and legalistic. He also identified religious traits as being judgmental and arrogant. I call the arrogant those with a "holier than thou attitude".  I even played in a rock band for a service to show it is not so much the sound but the message. By the way, the band will be singing again Sunday the 15th. Be in service or tune in on the Internet at valleyword.org and go to the media page.

Using Influence to Lead

Here's one more thought on using influence to lead. Realize, you won't be able to go through all these levels of influence with everybody. You can only lead people where they are willing to follow. This point has helped me so much, because as a leader I need to spend time with those who will go with me to help complete the vision. Now, I have time for people and their needs, because we are in the people business. My point here is that in the past I have spent lots of time with people I thought would be good leaders, only to find out, they didn't want to be leaders. As you gain more influence with those around you you will see those who are willing to do more for the kingdom.

Growing in your influence as a leader

As I have said in previous blogs, the test of leadership growth is "influence". Remember, I said the levels of influence start with delegated influence. This level is based on the influence of someone else. It is sad to think that some leaders never get beyond this level. They are leaders simply because someone else has put them there. The second level is personal influence. This is based on the fact that you are liked. The third level of influence is based on what you have done for the orgainization. People want to follow someone who is successful and getting things done. The problem with staying at this level is there is no connection between leader and the team. We are in the people business, so this is important. The final level I want to discuss is the personal development level. This is the level of influence we must strive for because this is where multiplication takes place. At this level people have been developed to take over the responsibilities of the leader so the leader can move to his / her next level of responibility in the orgainization. Now, I will warn you, at this level you will have to let go of the things you used to do, but after all, that is called growth.

Influence on the personal level

Today let's look at influence on the personal level. This level of influence is not just about following a leader because you like them. I have seen it time and time again, people get involved because they think it will be fun (and it should) or they like a person, only to see things go bad when they realize there is work involved in ministry. If your only influence with people is that they like you, then one of two things will happen. You will either lose them when you have to correct them, or you will be afraid to correct in fear of hurting their feelings. Now I am not talking about being mean of ugly, but correction is always a part of change. The personal level of influence is about learning each others strengths and weaknesses and learning to trust each other. A leader needs this level, but you can't stay here. A successful leader has to move on to the level of influence where the team sees success and completion. A fulfilled team will follow a leader anywhere. More to come...