the results

M. Russell Ballard: Of course, it's not enough to simply talk about what should be done. We must also do it. Thus all decisions and assignments should be recorded and should be communicated to those who need to be involved in carrying them out. One member of the bishopric or presidency should be asked to take responsibility for each assignment, and he or she should be asked to "return and report" on an agreed-upon date. (An ongoing assignment list, maintained by your secretary or executive secretary, will enable you to call for a brief accounting on all assignments as their due dates are reached.) Also, when an assignment is delegated, it should normally be communicated in terms of "what" rather than "how"; that is, the person receiving it should be accountable for the result to be achieved rather than the specific methods to be used. This allows him or her to seek inspiration and to exercise creativity, within established Church policies and procedures, in accomplishing the task that has been delegated.

(Book: "Counseling with Our Councils: Learning to Minister

Together in the Church and in the Family," 1997, p. 125)