necessary in harmony with correct principles to achieve those desired results.
The principles involved in stewardship delegation are correct and applicable
to any kind of person or situation. With immature people, you specify fewer
desired results and more guidelines, identify more resources, conduct more
frequent accountability interviews, and apply more immediate consequences.
With more mature people, you have more challenging desired results, fewer
guidelines, less frequent accountability, and less measurable but more discernible
criteria.
Effective delegation is perhaps the best indicator of effective management
simply because it is so basic to both personal and organizational growth.
The Quadrant II Paradigm
The key to effective management of self, or of others through delegation, is
not in any technique or tool or extrinsic factor. It is intrinsic -- in the Quadrant II
paradigm that empowers you to see through the lens of importance rather than
urgency.
I have included in the Appendix an exercise called “A Quadrant II Day at the
Office” which will enable you to see in a business setting how powerfully this
paradigm can impact your effectiveness.
As you work to develop a Quadrant II paradigm, you will increase your
ability to organize and execute every week of your life around your deepest
priorities, to walk your talk. You will not be dependent on any other person or
thing for the effective management of your life.
Interestingly, every one of the Seven Habits is in Quadrant II. Every one
deals with fundamentally important things that, if done on a regular basis, would
make a tremendous positive difference in our lives.
Application Suggestions:
- Identify a Quadrant II activity you know has been neglected in your life --
one that, if done well, would have a significant impact in your life, either
personally or professionally. Write it down and commit to implement it. - Draw a Time Management Matrix and try to estimate what percentage of
your time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time for three days in 15-
minute intervals. How accurate was your estimate? Are you satisfied with the
way you spend your time? What do you need to change. - Make a list of responsibilities you could delegate and the people you could
delegate to or train to be responsible in these areas. Determine what is needed to
start the process of delegation or training. - Organize your next week. Start by writing down your roles and goals for
the week, then transfer the goals to a specific action plan. At the end of the
week, evaluate how well your plan translated your deep values and purposes into