STEWARDSHIP DELEGATION | EFFECTIVENESS TRUMPS EFFICIENCY

Stewardship delegation focuses on increasing effectiveness. It involves clear up-front mutual understanding and commitment regarding expectations. Stewardship delegation is focused on results instead of methods. It gives people a choice of method and makes them responsible for results.

Stewardship delegation | the five areas

Desired Results: Create a clear, mutual understanding of what needs to be accomplished, focusing on what, not how; results, not methods.
Guidelines: Identify the parameters within which the individual should operate. These should be as few as possible to avoid methods delegation, but should include any formidable restrictions. Point out the potential failure paths, what not to do, but don’t tell them what to do. Keep the responsibility for results with them — to do whatever is necessary within the guidelines.
Resources: Identify the human, financial, technical, or organizational resources the person can draw on to accomplish the desired results.
Accountability: Set up the standards of performance that will be used in evaluating the results and the specific times when reporting and evaluation will take place.
Consequences: Specify what will happen, both good and bad, as a result of the evaluation.

Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people. But it takes time and patience, and it doesn’t preclude the necessity to train and develop people so that their competency can rise to the level of that trust. In environments where there isn’t trust, a person can’t rely on others to respect their opinions and value. Without that affirmation, it’s very easy for a person’s confidence to plummet. They won’t take as many risks or express their creativity.

The steward becomes his own boss, governed by a conscience that contains the commitment to agreed upon desired results. But it also releases his creative energies toward doing whatever is necessary in harmony with correct principles to achieve those desired results. This brings out the effectiveness in people.

– Stephen R. Covey

Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front. – Nelson Mandela