Exodus 18:17-24 “Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone… select capable men from all the people — men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens …’ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.”
This was wise counsel to Moses from his father-in-law.
Principle: Select leaders who fear God and are capable, trustworthy and free of greed.
Delegation and empowerment are keys to growth, efficiency and “having a life” for business leaders.Tight reins or hands-on management of details is dangerous as the business grows. The solution lies in selecting capable leaders, managers, and assistants. Then delegate, empower, and administer based on the knowledge of your own limitations. Form a management team if you have executives. If you are a small business, select leaders and train them.
A recent attitude poll of 10,000 employees revealed that mid-level staff knew what to do but needed additional skills and authority to do it. Over 80% of them said they knew their employers’ goals and their duties but only 38% said they had information on how to do it. They did not get regular performance feedback. Only 55% thought they had power to make decisions that would satisfy customers.
Moses took his father-in-law’s advice, and the rest of Exodus tells us how he carried it out. He selected capable people, taught them how to do the work, modeled the ways the work was done, gave them authority and made it known to all, validated them as they served, set limits and did not let them grab more power and authority than was granted.
It is fair to say that Moses was one of the greatest men who ever lived. God said so. He managed to deliver two million people to a planned destination with a functioning organization. He led; he was a friend of God even though he was imperfect. He lived to be one hundred and twenty years old and had a life. He was a good listener, and we are still talking about him. What a legacy!
Discussion:
1. If you cannot get all the work done, what can you stop doing without harming your business?
2. Why is delegating is difficult in your situation?
3. What are some good first-steps to solving the delegation difficulties?
