5 Simple Rules of Delegation

Who doesn’t enjoy delegating? I love handing off tasks and projects to other team members. But there are some simple rules I believe we need to follow to make the experience rewarding for both people. By delegating, it relieves you of a heavy work load that may be hindering you from taking on more pressing projects that only you can handle. Delegating is shifting responsibility and balancing your load and is a great tool for team building. If you are not delegating you are missing out on a great opportunity. These 5 simple rules are from my experiences I learned along the way.

Let Go

You have to be able to let go of things and know that others can do them as well as you or even better than you. Do not delegate and still hold on to it, let go and let the other person run with it in their own capacity. You can still oversee the task but from a distance as to give them some ownership over the project or task.

Give Clear Instructions the First Time

Make sure that when you are delegating, you give the other person clear instructions so they are not constantly coming back to you asking questions. If they keep asking questions and coming back to you the time is wasted and the very purpose of delegating is to free you up. NOTE: If they keep coming back asking questions repeatedly, then you either did not give clear instructions or they are the wrong person for the task.

Always Affirm

Once the person you handed something off to brings you the completed task, always affirm. Even though you see some things done wrong, if you criticize them, they will not be receptive to more delegation later. Receive the project from them, affirm them, and leave. If what is wrong is minor, then fix it yourself later. However, the next time you give them the same or similar task, make the correction then with them for the future. If, what they did wrong just won’t work, bring it back to them the next day. Giving some time in between when you affirm them and correct them really helps them feel they are helping.

Start Small to Big

When you are delegating, always start with a small task and work your way up to big. Once the other person is comfortable with being delegated to, then you can give them larger projects that will really free you up more. If you start with a really large task, the other person could get overwhelmed and not enjoy the delegation and be reluctant to receive more at a later date. 

Be Selective

Just because you find someone that picks up how to do things really fast, don’t just dump all your little tasks to them. Be very selective as to what you delegate. Also, don’t just delegate off things you think are not important. To delegate is to free you up to take on new projects that are more pressing to you at the time. If you always delegate small less important tasks, the other person will pick up on that and get less value from the experience. Remember, delegating is building a team, balancing the work load, and giving others the opportunity to learn new things and grow in their job.

Comments?  Discussion?

Two Ways to Live

There are two ways to do almost everything: the right way or the wrong way; the quick way or the fast way; the clean way or the dirty way; the slow way or the fast way; the quiet way or the loud way; the easy way or the hard way. It is our choice which method to do something and the outcome is determined by the method.

Recently our senior pastor challenged our church to reach out and meet people outside of our normal group we commonly associate with. In other words; go meet people and get to know them.  I loved the idea and took the challenge.  The challenge is to meet five new people each week by getting to know their name and one thing about them. That makes you go further than just saying hello and keep going.  The challenge involves taking the time to make an effort to get to know people more. So, let me give you a few scenarios that illustrate this challenge.

 "For the Holy spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" Luke 12.12 NKJV

For eight years Bob Taylor and I would spend our Wednesday morning making hospital visits and then lunch before heading back to the church. Bob was our Senior Adult Minister and I was the Business Manager at the church we served. Bob never met a stranger. He could walk into a hospital patient room having never met this person and leave encouraging them and praying with them. His first step was to introduce him and me to the patient. That way we were on a first name basis right off.  Bob had the incredible gift of encouragement and prayer. Everyone he came into contact with, he would ask their name and then ask if he could pray for them. That was of course after he encouraged or complimented them.  So, here is a typical day with Bob Taylor.

We arrive at the hospital to the information counter to get a room number for who we were to visit. After getting the room number he would tell the person what a great job they are doing today and how much we need people helping find room numbers. We would proceed to the elevator and on the ride up he spoke to at least one person, most the time each person in there with us, and would encourage them. He had a keen sense if they were burdened or not. Once we arrived to the floor of the patient, he always spoke to everyone in the nurse’s station either in passing if they were busy or he would stop to visit if they were idle for the moment. Keep in mind Bob Taylor is the most courteous and polite person you will ever meet. We arrive to the patient room and knock. After a signal to enter, once in the room Bob is speaking to any family that is there making his way to the patient. The visit is short and to the point with prayer before we exit. Of course on the way out and through the hospital, he speaks kindly to everyone thanking them for a great job they are doing. That’s just the hospital visit! 

Our normal routine every Wednesday after hospital visits was lunch. This was the fun part for me and always a blessing. He had this one restaurant that he would go to every day if it was up to him but he would always ask me where I wanted to go just to be nice. I chose different places but many times I would choose his favorite and it would light him up. No matter where we ate, he caused a scene. First let me tell you what happened at his favorite place the first time he took me there. We walk in and he greets the hostess by name and gives her a hug. She seats us and then the waitress calls him by name and gives him a hug. She takes our order and then a tall guy comes by and he and Bob talk a few minutes. The guy mentions an issue with his family and Bob stops and says lets pray about that. So that is what we do right there at the table in the restaurant. I asked who that man was and it was the store manager. The waitress brings our food out and Bob asks her if she has anything we can pray for and she mentioned her daughter. We all three join hands and pray for our food and her daughter and a few other things.  As we leave lunch that day, all I here is “see you later Bob” by a dozen people. I am amazed and blessed by that lunch and soon learned why that was his favorite place.

This would happen where ever Bob and I went. He is the most uplifting and encouraging person you will ever meet and prays all the time anywhere and for anyone. When I first arrived on staff at the church, I was brought by Bob’s small office and was introduced to him as the new guy. He smiled big, stood up, and said lets pray for Rick as he joins our staff. Great first impression I would say! 

Bob knows everyone and everyone knows Bob Taylor. He became my mentor and father figure here on earth. For eight years I was privileged to serve with him and for eight years we visited the sick and ate lunch together and met people. He introduced me to everyone we met. What is cool is the days he could not go visit I had to go alone. I found myself being like Bob and meeting people, talking to people on the elevator, and addressing the nurses, and complimenting people along the way. It just came natural after being with Bob. I loved that and it made me feel good inside that I was reaching out to people.

One day we got a call that Bob’s wife, Mary Jane, was in ER. Word spread fast and when I arrived at the hospital, there were a dozen men there waiting for Bob to arrive waiting to lift up Bob. Mary Jane passed away that day and before we knew it Bob was praying with the doctors and the nurses telling them what great work they did in caring for Mary Jane and doing all they could. Here we were to console Bob and he was consoling others. He knew May Jane was in heaven with Christ and now his job was to encourage and lift up the doctors so they might know the love of Christ. There is no stronger witness that telling others at the loss of a loved one that they are ok in heaven and that God loves them. 

Even though Mary Jane was gone, Bob never gave up meeting people and praying and encouraging people. Bob sold their house and moved to a retirement center. The story does not end here. Bob already knew the workers there from making visits there. They loved Bob and loved that he was now living there. Soon everyone knew Bob and he started a Bible study there and soon became their chaplain by default. People would come to his room asking for prayer and when he was in the dining hall they would stop Bob to ask for prayer. He purposefully rented a two bedroom set up so he could dedicate one room to his books and desk and be a room for counseling and prayer. 

Let’s get back to the title of this article; there are two ways to live. We can live life every day and never meet people or speak to them or care for them or get to know them. We can do our own thing in our fast pace culture and get by just fine. Or, we can be a Bob Taylor and speak to people, care for them, pray with them, know there name and find out about their lives. It is our choice!

Here is another true to life story and its about me. I am a man of habit and I go to the same places over and over. For the past several years I mentor a child at an elementary school on Wednesdays. I specifically chose that time when asked to be a mentor because it reminds me of my days with Bob Taylor on Wednesdays. After I mentor I eat lunch just as Bob and I did for years. I go to the same restaurant and eat the same thing every week. For the past year the same lady is behind the counter waiting on me. The difference is I don’t know her name and know nothing about her. Bob would never have allowed that. I have become lazy forgetting there are people all around me hurting with no hope yet I do nothing?  Since the recent challenge from our pastor about meeting five new people each week I was reminded I need to start acting like Bob Taylor and sharing Jesus with everyone I meet. I need to learn that lady’s name that waits on me every Wednesday.  A few weeks back I went off course and ate there on a Tuesday. When I walked in, that same lady spoke to me and said “you are early”. I didn’t know what she meant. She said, "You atre always here on Wednesday so you are early". She knew me alright! I was another restaurant a lot and the same lady brings the food out almost every time. Why do I not speak encouragement to her or ask her name? I go to the same bank all the time and yet I never ask the teller their name or get to know them. I see the same check out person at many stores I go to often over and over and yet I don’t know them. That is one way to live but not the best way and not the way Christ would have us live. 

See, there are two ways to live. You can go through your life never meeting people, never getting to know their names, never learn something about them and be unsociable and never get the opportunity to share Christ OR you can go through life meeting people, encouraging them, praying with and for them, learning their name, and being a positive influence in others. I chose the latter way to live. What about you? More than likely you are reading this article while sitting in a business with people all around you. Did you speak to them, learn their name, learn something about them, encourage them, or reach out? Try it out and may be amazed at their response.  I am challenging you and me to be like Bob Taylor is still today. I don’t live near Bob any longer but when I visit or call he always says how great those days were for him when we visited the sick and ate lunch every week. He still prays and encourages and meets people and knows them by name. What a way to live! Bob Taylor made the choice to live like Christ and share His love to everyone he meets not matter where and when. There are two ways to live; which are you living?

By the way the verse at the beginning is Bob Taylor's life verse he still uses today.

Comments! Discussion!

I'm A Two Taco Man

I am amazed that a retail food establishment can offer horrible service and people still eat there. Ask any of my colleagues where my favorite place to eat is and they will respond Jason's Deli. Why? Their service is always good and the food is always good and they are so friendly and you get free ice cream with every meal. There are no stupid rules and stipulations! Just order, eat, and enjoy.

When I find a great place to eat, I am their most faithful fan. When Freebirds opened in Waco  I tried it, and it was awesome. Loud music from my past, the buzz of people packed in, great food, and great price and they even have a point card you can earn free meals with. I have eaten there dozens of times since they opened and being a man of habit, I have ordered the same exact thing at every visit. Yep! I do that all over at places I eat at. So at Freebirds I have only ordered the two taco meal with chips, queso, and drink. I order the two tacos with all the same ingredients, I always upgrade to queso, and I drink Pepsi...every time. The points card...a no brainer! Just keep it with you and at every visit you earn points. Keep in mind I always ordered the two taco meal for $5 and rack up points.

So one day not long ago I chose Freebirds for lunch and who changed the menu? The two taco meal is gone and there is a one taco plate, make it a meal, and it now costs $7. I was not happy but begrudgingly still ordered my taco meal, now only one, upgraded to the chips and queso, and drank a Pepsi. Not a happy camper but oh well I can suck it up. I handed my point card to the check out girl and she informs me that now the point card does not work for the taco meal, only the burritos. She says I have 12 points though and on my next visit I will get a free meal. So I racked up all the points eating the two taco meal but now the point redemption does not apply to the taco meal anymore.

Today, knowing that information, I chose Freebirds again and this time, for the very first time since they have been open here, I ordered a Freebird burrito. Are you shocked? Of course I got all the same ingredients I get with the tacos but now in a burrito. At the end of the counter the guy is rolling my burrito and it is so full he can't get the tortilla to close. He struggles and then quickly wraps it in foil before it burst all over the basket. Im looking at the guy like how would anyone actually pick that up and eat it. I broke out of my mold just this once and did not order the chips and queso and just added a drink. I proceeded to check out and handed the girl my points card and she says I have a free meal today. DUH! Thats why I came in today and ordered the burrito knowing I could not redeem my points for  a taco meal. She then says that will be $2.44. I thought the meal was free today. It only applies to the burrito and not the drink she says. Are you kidding me?

That my friend is why Freebirds is not at the bottom of my list of places to eat. Can a guy just get some good service and good food without so many rules; you can't to this and you can't do that!

What do you think? Should I not be so harsh? Should I not expect excellent customer service and not so many rules? Your comments?

I am My Father's Son: A Tribute to Dad

I was a sophomore in high school in 1971 and the summer before I started school I passed Drivers Ed and got my driver’s license. Little did I know at that time, it was the start of twenty three years working side by side with my dad! Our family owned a retail auto parts store in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dad sold auto parts for as long as I can remember growing up. At one point in our family history, my entire family worked at the retail store: my dad and mom, my two sisters, my brother, and now myself. You see, as soon as I got my driver’s license, my dad put me to work driving the delivery truck for the auto parts store. I worked every Saturday during the school year, then all week during the summer. 

My dad was very well known in the auto parts industry as one of the most honest business owners and with high integrity. Sure he had his faults, but George Cadden was a great business man. After I graduated from high school, dad put me to work full time. I still lived at home and we rode together every day to and from work and went home for lunch every day to mom’s cooking. Dad not only gave me a job, but he taught me the art of owning a business. I worked my way up like anyone else would from delivery driver, to counter sales, to store manager. All along the way, dad was teaching me skills. 

He was amazing at customer service and taught me that more than anything else. Almost every customer that came in the store knew my dad by name and would buy some parts, then chat with dad for a few minutes. His sales philosophy was “never lose a sale”. He went to great lengths to find the right part to fill every order. If we didn’t have it there on hand, he would always offer to locate the part and have it for pick up later that day. Employee turnover in the parts store was very low because my father was the best boss ever. I heard that over and over and witnessed it firsthand. Dad was a hand- on business owner and did all the ordering, worked the sales counter, and handled the general business operations.

We had a great routine that we performed daily for ten years. Dad would get the coffee going and open the back warehouse up and I would count the money from the day before and get the change drawer ready for the new day. At opening time he would flip on all the lights up front and would unlock the front door. Ready for business! At closing I got to lock the front door, he flipped off all the lights, and turned the coffee pot off, and would pull the money and hide it in the parts bin somewhere until the next morning’s counting. We did the same thing like that for ten years together! We worked side by side from 1971 until 1981 when my father decided to sell the parts store and retire. That was a very emotional time for him and my mom and me. That’s all we knew and was our lively hood for so many years. 

Dad retired and we sold the parts store and all moved from Corpus to Arlington, Texas. My brother and his family lived there and we loved the climate and the different terrain from the beach we knew so well. I started my own business from that point. During the first several years in my new business, selling auto parts of course, my business grew exponentially. I needed help and where else would I find the right person…but my dad. In a flash he was there working for me now and we were selling parts together again only this time we sold wholesale to garages and dealers. We were a great team and I was utilizing the skills my dad had taught me as a young man. We worked another 5 years together until I sold my business to follow Gods call on my life into full time ministry. My dad once again retired and in 1986 I started seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

My dad would have preferred to work until the day he passed away in 2000. He was a worker, a teacher, a father, a granddad, a husband, a family man, an uncle, a Deacon, a people person, a friend, a helper, and a follower of Christ. He was a simple man with lots of laughter and fun in him. I don’t remember a time where he raised his voice to me growing up. The one thing even today that my dad and I have in common is cars. My dad had his share of cars and loved tinkering with them and making them shine. I do the same today. I am my father’s son! 

It’s now been fourteen years since my dad passed away and yet the memories of him are as vivid as ever. Why is that? I believe that my dad instilled into me that family is so important. It’s not about what you can get in life; it’s about what you can give. My dad would literally give the shirt off his back if you needed it.  He invested in family and made that his priority. Those vivid memories I still have are of all the family vacations we took all over the place, all the family reunions we attended, all the barbeques in the back yard my dad cooked, all the games we played together, and all the house projects we did together and how he taught me handy man skills. He knew I would get in trouble at times growing up and when I messed up, he disciplined me then loved me through it. He knew when I was broke and would always slide me a $20 or $50 bill from the hidden place in his wallet. Those are the dad things that build vivid memories that last for eternity.  

Disclaimer: Although this article is about my dad and me, my mom was just as important in our family and the same holds true for me today. My wife is a critical in our family.

Fast forward to the 90’s! We were raising three great kids during that time. Little did they know that I was doing the same things the way my dad raised me and they turned out to be three of the most respectful Christian adults you can be around. As my kids grew up we took family vacations all over the place, we attended family reunions together, we barbequed in the backyard all the time, we played games and cards at home a lot, and watched endless movies together as a family. When my kids were broke I would slip them some cash from my wallet just like my dad did, when they got in trouble they got disciplined but then we loved them through it all, and we knew they would mess up so we just prepared ourselves as parents. 

Fast forward to 2005-2014! Two of our three kids have kids of their own and are raising them the same way my dad raised me and we raised them. They do lots of family vacations, watch movies together, go to the park, grill in the backyard, and make family a high priority. What a legacy my dad started back in the 60’s as I was growing up. He made family a priority, I made family a priority, and now my kids are making family a priority! I can only assume that my dad’s dad did the same thing with him growing up. 

I greatly miss not having my dad here with me coaching me along life’s journey. If I had one more time with him I would tell him, “Dad, you raised me so well. My childhood was fun because of you. I became a businessman just like you taught me. Dad, I slipped my kids some cash when they were broke just like you did to me. I see now why you did it when their face lights up. And Dad, I took my family on long vacations just like you did with me and our family. Dad, my grandkids call me PaPa just like you were named by your grand kids. Dad, thank you for working with me side by side for 20+ years teaching me to be the man I am today. I miss you dad!”

If you are a dad, please know that you are so important in your family and can make a huge difference in leaving a lasting family legacy. If you are a dad and estranged from your family, start the reconciliation process today. If you are a dad and family is not a priority, you can change that today by removing those things that hinder you from being dad. Whatever it takes, be the dad.  

Rick Cadden
Associate Pastor of Administration and Operations
Columbus Avenue Baptist Church