October 2
The Keys Were Never Given
Someone agrees to take responsibility for a task, but the information and permission stay with the person who used to do it. Every ordinary step requires another request. Eventually the new volunteer stops trying, and the rest of us wonder why they have so little initiative. From their side, it may look as though initiative has been discouraged each time they offered it.
Delegation asks us to transfer the means to do the work along with the expectation that it will be done. This can expose how much reassurance we took from being consulted about everything. Clear limits still matter, and some decisions properly remain shared. Within those limits, though, the person needs usable room to act. Giving that room may feel less comfortable than announcing that we trust them. Their responsibility becomes real when they can actually carry it without returning to us for every key.
What have I asked someone to handle while keeping the means in my own hands?
Some practical details of the handover are still unfinished.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept II.