"Do it this (my) way"

Do you ever feel like that? Personally, there are times when I see how someone is doing some delegated task(s) that I want to go over and say: "Do it this (my) way."
However, I'm getting better and better at restraining and even retraining myself to delegate and let it go. It's tough but believe me it's possible when you set your heart on delegation versus doing it yourself.


As I planned out this piece, the Holy Spirit said to me: "If you want something to be done the way you want/prefer it to be done, mentor and train others on how to do it." Now that is not to say that they will always or ever do it your way. I heard someone - not sure who or where say: "Quality is not by accident." I couldn't agree more because Aristotle said

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

It therefore means that for others to attain the same "quality" of how you do things (assuming your way is the highest quality possible), they need the space to do things over and over again for excellence to be their habit.


George S. Patton* (a US Army General), who is best known for his leadership of the army in Germany & France said: "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." He also said: "If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking" which buttresses my point that my(your) way is not the only (best) way.

Having said that, Robert Half added some witty wisdom to the Delegation discussion in saying: “Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.” In other words, what these two people are saying to me/us is "Don't delegate ('dump') and run." Stay "caringly" close but don't be too quick to catch if it seems something is about to drop. You never know if that is a new way of juggling priorities - remember what General Patton said? See above. Yes, yes, I agree that it's easier said/typed than done - as I continue on my Restraining & Retraining path.


The other angle to this is I hear a number of Pastors and Mrs. Pastors teasing (although sometimes they sound like threatening) others saying:  "You will soon be a Pastor/Mrs. Pastor." The question to be asked and answered is "How are you preparing them for that?"


Delegation is a versatile Development tool that we need to employ more than we currently do. It's also a De-stressing, not distressing, tool. Which is why I'd like to wrap this by encouraging you & I to delegate more and "get out of the way" rather than insist "do it this (my) way." God will help us as we groom and grow a new/next generation of Pastors & Mrs. Pastors. AMEN!




* Other quotes by General George Patton (Nov 11 1885 - Dec 21 1945):

A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom