Today is a guest post by Seth Ray. Seth is the children's ministry director at one of our campuses. He is a gifted leader and team builder. I have watched him prove that the strategy below works as he leads his team.
Give it away! That's it! The number one strategy to get more done is to simply give it away.
Some may call it delegating, some may call it empowering, but no matter what you call it, it's time to give away things so you can do what only you can do.
This isn't about being a bully or being lazy or being bossy or even being in control. This is about being productive, being efficient, getting more done and doing more of what you are passionate about! It's also about pouring into your teams, providing opportunities and partnering with those you lead. It's about being a better leader.
2 Things to Consider When Giving It Away
The reality is we are not all passionate about the same things or gifted in the same ways. The things you hate to do, someone else loves. Just like the things you love to do, someone else hates. So before giving anything away, be sure to first assess the passion and talents of those you are giving it away to.
4 Ways to Give It Away
Just like a shepherd would carefully look after his flock, so you should carefully watch over the task that you've assigned. This strategy is best used when you assign a task to a leader who may be extremely passionate, but lacks the skill or talent to effectively get the job done without your watchful eye. This method of getting it done requires lots of detail as you begin to set expectations and establish perimeters.
Have you ever believed in someone more than they believe in themselves? So often when giving away a really hard, but very important job to a leader we believe in, we have to sway or move their thinking to the other side. In other words, this strategy is best used when you assign a job to someone who may lack the passion or skill or talent to accomplish the assignment.
This give-it-away method is one of the greatest empowering tools and one of the simplest to utilize. Engaging a leader with a task or project provides great opportunity to be part of things they may have never been part of before and provides the leader with an opportunity to offer up suggestions and ideas as they contribute to the task. Here you simply bring the leader into the picture as they get to see and be part of what's typically behind the curtain.
When you have a leader who is passionate and talented in a particular area or project, all you need to do is get out of the way and simply serve as the foundation. In this method, you provide encouragement and support while keeping a pulse on the progress.
Not quite sure which method to use? Take advantage of this tool...
First, assess the passion the leader has for the project or task and then assess the level of giftedness the leader has related to the challenge ahead. Once you've been able to pinpoint these two factors, simply utilize the chart to identify which give-it-away method to use.
