​Hey Reader,​

1. A quick word from Zach

Have you ever delegated something to a team member, only to be disappointed when they couldn’t immediately do it as well as you did?

Before you decide delegation doesn’t work, there’s a harder question worth asking: Did you delegate it, or did you abdicate it?

This week, we’re talking about why a good handoff looks less like throwing something over the fence and more like passing a baton in a relay race.

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2. Something worth listening to

If the distinction between delegation and abdication hits a little close to home, Patrick Lencioni has a conversation that’s worth your time.

In this episode of At the Table, Lencioni and his team dig into the danger of handing off work while also walking away from the responsibility that comes with leading the person you’ve entrusted it to.

It’s a helpful companion to this week’s conversation, especially if you’re eager to get things off your plate but still learning how to make the handoff well.

3. Something worth thinking about

~ Deuteronomy 31:7

Here, Moses calls Joshua forward in front of Israel and commissions him for the leadership responsibility ahead. Joshua isn’t suddenly handed a job he knows nothing about. He’s spent years alongside Moses before the responsibility finally becomes his.

There’s a leadership lesson in that picture for us:

Delegation, not abdication. Proper delegation is a process, not an event.

4. Something worth trying

Think about a time when delegation “failed.”

Before you focus on what the other person did wrong, go back and audit the handoff. Did you communicate clearly? Did you remain available to help? Did you establish a cadence for checking in? Did you stay engaged long enough for the person to demonstrate that they could carry the result?

Or were you simply so relieved to get something off your plate that you threw the baton and walked away?

The Delegation Handoff Kit can help you walk back through that assignment and see where the handoff may have broken down.

Get the Delegation Handoff Kit.