Delegation is a PC activity. It’s is building Production Capacity (PC) rather than just producing (P)..
When delegating, there are several things that important for the delegate to be clear about. They are the distinctions that are the main differences between gopher delegation and stewardship delegation.
How is he to accomplish the job? It’s up to him.
Who is the boss? He is. He is responsible for managing himself.
Who is a helper? I am, if he needs my assistance, he can request it.
Who is the judge of results? He is.
And how will they be judged? This is where you set up accountability sessions where he can communicate his self judgment.
Covey continues with the example of his son being delegated the task of keeping the yard ‘green and clean’ Initially he did not do it. He would have conversations with him along the guidelines above, getting his son to take on his stewardship role, but he just wasn’t taking action.
Coven had the urge to yell at him, revert to gopher delegation, and tell his son to clean the yard that moment. But he held his tongue. Doing that he would have gotten the result – the golden egg – but he would have been ruining the possibility of building production capacity in his son – the goose.
His son gradually started acknowledging that he was not performing his job. He was judging himself unfavorably. Then one day he said he didn’t want to do it because the garbage smelled so bad he would throw up. Covey reminded him that he was his helper and he was entitled to ask him for help. His son did.
That moment, his son became the boss. He the owner of the job of keeping the yard ‘green and clean’, using the resources available to him. He had truly accepted the mission he was delegated, and made it his to the point he would complain to his siblings if they were making the yard a mess.
