The Importance And Benefits Of Delegation
I have yet to come across a church leader who doesn’t confess that they should delegate more. Nor have I come across any leader who has been formally taught delegations skills. Is it any wonder then that we see so little effective delegation? The good news is that it is a skill that can be acquired. Over the next several weeks we will be examining the Who, Why, When, and How of delegation. In this article we will examine the importance and the benefits of delegation.
The Importance of Delegation
In leadership and management, delegating refers to sharing or transferring responsibilities to a subordinate. It is a skill critical to the success of any supervisor because it plays an important role in:
Efficiency and Effectiveness: Delegating work to people whose skills better fit the task improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the individual delegating the work. For example, in most cases it doesn’t make sense for the Pastor to do administrative work.
Lessens Stress: Most church staff are stressed at one time or another because they have too much on their plate. Delegation is the number one stress buster tool.
Development: Delegating is a major tool for the supervisor who wants to coach, teach, and develop subordinates and is an important way to help them grow. This in turn makes them more valuable to the church and your team more flexible.
The Benefits of Delegating
Effective delegation is one of the most important managerial skills you can have because the benefits of proper delegation go deeper than just increased productivity. Effects can be seen in:
Greater Trust Between Supervisor and Subordinate: When you give a staff member the authority and autonomy to do a task, it is implied that you are trusting them to get it done. It also says that you think that they are competent enough to handle the task. This show of trust and confidence builds a bond between supervisor and subordinate.
Increase in Job Satisfaction: Delegating tasks to a staff member that increases their responsibilities allows them to take ownership and pride in their work.
Increase in Motivation: Delegating tasks to the appropriate staff member provides then the chance to shine, receive recognition, and impress their boss.
More Time for Other Important Activities: Proper and timely delegation gives leaders and managers the time to focus on higher impact tasks and responsibilities.
More Effective Evaluation: As a supervisor, part of your job is to evaluate people accurately and fairly. By delegating responsibilities to your direct reports, you are in a better position to see how well they handle assignments.
Taken together, the effects of delegation can have a positive impact on the individual and a synergistic effect on the efficiency, effectiveness and health of the entire staff team.
Posted on April 20, 2021
