So, you have delegated authority to another to execute some well-defined responsibility. They have been faithful to carry out the responsibility to the best of their ability, but now, a problem has arisen. They’re stuck and can’t seem to move it any further. You determine it’s not for lack of effort, but they can’t move ahead without some additional help. What to do?
You’re sensitive to the impulse just to jump in and solve a problem that needs fixing, not wanting to micro-manage a situation. And you want to maximize this delegated responsibility to grow the person. Taking the pressure off them removes some of God’s best training moments as they wrestle with seeking Him and asking for His help (not yours).
But when is it appropriate to enter back into this gridlock and get things unstuck? Here’s a couple of guidelines that can help.
1. Remember that there is a difference between delegating authority to another and having their authority recognized by others – especially if they are leading their peers. You may have that recognized final authority, but their peers may not.
2. Don’t be too quick to jump in and solve something for someone you’ve given responsibility to, unless there is a pending deadline that demands action now. Let them try to move it themselves and see the Lord do what only He can do. We want them dependent on Him, not you.
3. Having done the above, there are times when you have to engage in situations and get things unstuck, breaking gridlock between two or more opinions and bringing alignment (and hopefully agreement) to move forward. The important thing is that all parties feel well listened to and taken seriously. But, having done so, we still may not agree.
4. When you re-engage and bring your authority to break the impasse, you can be viewed as a dictator who only wants to get his/her own way. You can mitigate this by saying something like, “We have to move this forward, so here’s what I’d suggest. Let’s do ‘x’ for the next (period of time) and then stop to re-evaluate the results.” So, you are communicating that this is not the end of it all. We are going to try to go this direction for a period and then stop to see if we are getting the outcomes we hoped for. You show sensitivity, teachability, and yet a desire to move this ahead.
5. Once you’ve communicated the decision and all understand that we all will align to this new direction, your job it not done. Keep the responsibility with the one you delegated to. Don’t take it back. Let them see it through to completion.
6. Set some calendar reminder with all involved as to when we will re-evaluate this decision and its outcomes. This helps remove angst for those who may feel like they ‘lost’ and shows you are serious about this future review and not just saying something to assuage their feelings.
Break the gridlock when necessary. But do it wisely!