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Delegation: The Who
Issue #427, July 15, 2026
When you’re ready to delegate, how do you decide who should receive delegate tasks? That’s the focus of this issue and again, we look to the example of the apostles.
1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:1-4, NIV).
In this situation the apostles were ready to delegate the task of distributing the food and asked the group to choose 7 men for the work. But in verse three they specified criteria for the selection process that can help us choose the right people for any delegated task.
Delegate to people that you know.
The apostles requested the group to choose people “who are known.” They wanted people who were not strangers but were well known by everyone involved. Some attributes, especially skills that are obvious might be known quickly. But deeper issues of the heart like integrity, motives, attitude towards authority, response to conflict, etc. will only be known over time. Before you delegate, ask, “How well do I know this person?” The level that you know them can help determine the level of delegation. The less you know them, the more cautious you should be about giving them responsibilities.
Some leaders quickly give significant responsibilities to people that seem capable but whom they don’t really know well. But serving leaders take time to get to know people especially before they delegate significant tasks to them.
Delegate to people that are aligned.
The second criterion the apostles mentioned was that they be “full of the Spirit.” This was critical because they would need the guidance and power of the Spirit in their new role. But it was also important because it meant that they were aligned with the vision and mission of the apostles and moving in the same direction or in the same ‘spirit’. Before delegating to someone ask how closely they are aligned with you. Are they aligned with the vision, mission, values of your organization? Do they understand the way you do what you do? This is especially important when people have come to you from another organization. Don’t delegate to misaligned people, no matter how gifted they are!
Some leaders delegate to people who are qualified to do the task with little assessment of their alignment with the organization. But serving leaders look for alignment of vision, mission and values before selecting someone for the task.
Delegate to people that are experienced.
The apostles wanted people who were “full of the Spirit and wisdom.” This role required wisdom, knowing what to do in a challenging situation. These leaders would be stepping into a situation already marked by dissatisfied members who were complaining. The people selected would need wisdom to navigate complaints, cultural expectations, communication, logistics, and the opposition they would soon face. This was not a place for people with no leadership experience. The principle here is to delegate tasks in proportion to the experience that someone has. The new task may stretch their capacity and help them grow to the next level but should not be completely out of their realm of experience.
Some leaders delegate tasks far above a person’s experience and capacity. But serving leaders match the person’s capacity to the task at hand.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Reflect on your experience with delegation, especially a time when you chose the wrong person for a task. What can I learn from that experience from this story of the apostles?
- Consider three or four people on your team. Evaluate each one by asking these questions: How well do I know them? How aligned are they with our direction? What level of experience do they have? After you evaluate them, identify a task that you should delegate to that person. If your assessment reveals that you should not yet delegate a task to them, what will you do to help them move in the right direction?
- What can I do with someone who has potential for growth but has little experience?
Until next time, yours on the journey,
Jon Byler
In the next issue, we’ll examine how to delegate effectively. |
