Chapter 14 – Planning – Abraham Communicating his Plan to his Employee
Planning – Abraham Communicating his Plan to his Employee
The Strategic Assignment Brief
The process of delegating critical responsibilities represents perhaps the most revealing test of management effectiveness. Consider the challenge of arranging a marriage for an only child – a clear objective requiring delicate execution. The parent seeks an optimal spouse for their thirty-something child but wishes to avoid candidates from a particular community. They decided to dispatch an emissary to another region. This delegation requires careful instruction, clear expectations, and appropriate resources to ensure successful execution.
Abraham faced precisely this challenge following numerous life trials. After Sarah’s death and Isaac’s near-sacrifice, Abraham settled in Beer Sheva while Isaac’s whereabouts remained unspecified. Despite this separation, Abraham maintained paternal concern for his son’s future – particularly securing a suitable marriage partner from within the extended family rather than local Canaanites.
This narrative represents one of the Bible’s most detailed accounts – 67 lines compared to just 19 lines for Isaac’s near-sacrifice. The three-part structure includes Abraham’s instructions to Eliezer, Eliezer’s journey and encounter with Rebecca, and his detailed report to Rebecca’s family. This comprehensive treatment highlights exemplary delegation, employee loyalty, and successful mission completion – addressing the manager’s perpetual challenge of entrusting critical responsibilities to subordinates.
The Delegation Narrative
Genesis 24:1 By now Avraham was old, advanced in years; and ADONAI had blessed Avraham in everything. 2 Avraham said to the servant who had served him the longest, who was in charge of all he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh; 3 because I want you to swear by ADONAI, God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena’ani, among whom I am living; 4 but that you will go to my homeland, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son Yitz’chak.” 5 The servant replied, “Suppose the woman isn’t willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Avraham said to him, “See to it that you don’t bring my son back there. 7 ADONAI, the God of heaven – who took me away from my father’s house and away from the land I was born in, who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants’- he will send his angel ahead of you; and you are to bring a wife for my son from there.
31 “Come on in,” he said, “you whom ADONAI has blessed! Why are you standing outside when I have made room in the house and prepared a place for the camels?” 32 So the man went inside, and while the camels were being unloaded and provided straw and fodder, water was brought for him to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him. 33 But when a meal was set before him, he said, “I won’t eat until I say what I have to say.” Lavan said, “Speak.” 34 He said, “I am Avraham’s servant. 35 ADONAI has greatly blessed my master, so that he has grown wealthy. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah my master’s wife bore my master a son when she was old, and he has given him everything he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You are not to choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena’ani, among whom I am living; 38 rather, you are to go to my father’s house, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son.’
Strategic Planning Elements
Commitment-Based Management
Abraham began by securing his servant’s commitment through a solemn oath. Genesis 24:2 describes Abraham requesting Eliezer to “put your hand under my thigh” – a deeply personal promise signifying absolute commitment. Abraham then outlined the specific mission parameters before Eliezer formalized his commitment (24:9). This sequencing demonstrates a critical management principle: securing informed commitment requires clear explanation before commitment request rather than after.
This commitment-securing process created an alignment between manager and delegate -ensuring both understood expectations before proceeding. Modern management approaches like “promise-based management” reflect this ancient wisdom, recognizing that explicit commitments established through clear understanding produce more reliable outcomes than vague assignments.
Contingency Planning
Abraham demonstrated sophisticated strategic thinking by incorporating contingency provisions. While his primary objective was clear – finding Isaac a wife from the family homeland – Abraham recognized potential implementation challenges. In Genesis 24:8, he absolves Eliezer from obligation if unable to find a willing candidate, with the strict provision that Isaac must remain in Canaan regardless of outcome.
This contingency planning represents relatively rare biblical management practice. Most biblical narratives present singular approaches without fallback provisions—as illustrated by the unauthorized Israelite attempt to enter Canaan following the negative spy report (Numbers 14:40), which ended in military defeat without contingency plans.
Abraham’s foresight ensured that even mission failure wouldn’t create additional problems by compromising Isaac’s Canaanite residence. This approach offers contemporary managers valuable guidance for creating robust plans that anticipate potential obstacles without compromising core principles. When managers transparently communicate both primary objectives and fallback provisions, employees gain clarity about boundaries and priorities even during implementation challenges.
Organizational Implementation
Delegate Selection
Abraham’s selection of Eliezer as his emissary reflected careful consideration rather than convenience. Despite having numerous servants and workers, Abraham chose Eliezer based on demonstrated capability and loyalty. Management literature highlights the concept of the “go-to person” – trusted individuals assigned critical responsibilities based on proven performance.
Eliezer’s development appeared throughout Abraham’s narrative – participating in hospitality to the angels, joining Abraham’s military campaign (Genesis 14:14), and likely accompanying him during Isaac’s near-sacrifice journey as one of the “young men” (22:3, 5) who returned with Abraham to Beer Sheva (22:19). This progressive responsibility pattern established Eliezer’s reliability through increasingly significant assignments.
This relationship potentially began with Abraham’s spiritual mentorship if Eliezer was among the “souls” converted in Haran. This spiritual foundation might explain Eliezer’s exceptional loyalty – repaying Abraham’s guidance through dedicated service. Effective managers similarly identify, develop, and rely upon trusted lieutenants who can execute critical assignments with minimal supervision.
Resource Allocation
Abraham provided comprehensive resources for mission success. Genesis 24:10 describes Eliezer departing with camels and various valuable goods from Abraham’s household. These resources weren’t merely travel provisions but strategic assets for securing family consent – demonstrating Isaac’s desirability as a husband through visible prosperity.
Abraham’s resource allocation appears comprehensive – offering “everything he had” in pursuit of this objective. This commitment illustrates the management principle that critical missions require proportionate resourcing rather than minimal allocation. Underfunded initiatives often produce worse outcomes than postponed opportunities, as insufficient resources signal half-hearted commitment and create implementation obstacles.
Empowered Decision-Making
The narrative demonstrates sophisticated delegation through empowered decision-making. While Abraham provided clear parameters, he didn’t micromanage implementation details or create rigid scripts. When Eliezer encountered Rebecca, he needed to make judgment calls without consultation – assessing her character, determining appropriate approaches, and navigating family negotiations.
This empowerment requires manager confidence in delegate capabilities and creates operational flexibility critical for field operations. Organizations with rigid scripts often fail when conditions differ from expectations, while empowered employees can adapt approaches while maintaining strategic alignment. This delegation style requires both appropriate preparation and genuine authority transfer rather than nominal responsibility with continuous oversight.
Directive Implementation
Eliezer’s implementation success demonstrated comprehensive mission fulfillment. He successfully identified Rebecca, persuaded her to accompany him, convinced her family despite potential objections, and completed the mission by bringing her to Isaac. Throughout this process, Eliezer maintained unwavering organizational identity and mission clarity.
When asked his identity, Eliezer unhesitatingly responded, “slave to Abraham am I” (Genesis 24:34), acknowledging both his human master and divine alignment by noting that the “Lord had not withheld kindness and truth from my master” (24:27). This organizational identification represents a significant management achievement – employees who proudly identify with their organization and leadership rather than minimizing or obscuring their affiliation.
Comprehensive Support Systems
Abraham assured Eliezer of continuous support throughout the mission. In Genesis 24:7, he indicated that “the Lord’s angel would be sent before” Eliezer, later expanding in Genesis 24:40 that the angel would accompany both outbound and return journeys. Commentaries suggest this promised divine support during the entire mission cycle -addressing potential delegate concerns about being abandoned mid-assignment.
This comprehensive support promise addresses a common employee anxiety – whether assistance will remain available throughout difficult assignments or disappear after initiation. Effective managers establish support mechanisms covering entire project lifecycles rather than merely launch phases.
Implementation Follow-Through
The narrative includes an interesting implementation anomaly – Eliezer reported mission completion to Isaac rather than Abraham. Genesis 24:66 notes that he “told Isaac everything that happened,” with no mention of reporting back to Abraham despite being Abraham’s servant. This reporting anomaly, followed by Eliezer’s disappearance from the biblical narrative, raises questions about communication protocols.
While task completion benefited Isaac directly, Abraham initiated the assignment and held managerial authority. This reporting irregularity potentially indicates unclear communication channels – a common organizational challenge when matrix responsibilities create reporting ambiguity.
The text specifically notes that Eliezer told Isaac “everything” – suggesting comprehensive reporting rather than selective disclosure. This thoroughness demonstrates implementation integrity – avoiding the temptation to filter information toward positive elements while concealing challenges or failures. Complete disclosure allows recipients to recognize divine providence in seemingly minor details that might otherwise appear coincidental.
Evaluation and Accountability
The narrative provides clear evaluation mechanisms through explicitly defined objectives and outcomes. The mission’s success required not merely identifying a suitable wife but securing her return journey – a multi-stage success requirement that could fail at several points. Rebecca’s family attempted to delay departure, creating potential mission derailment that Eliezer successfully navigated through persistence and focus.
According to commentaries, Eliezer had personal incentives for mission failure – some suggest he hoped his own daughter might marry Isaac if no suitable relative were found. This personal conflict of interest created potential mission sabotage opportunity that Eliezer’s integrity overcame – demonstrating exemplary organizational commitment over personal advantage.
This organizational-over-personal prioritization represents management’s highest aspiration – team members who pursue organizational objectives even when personal interests might benefit from alternative outcomes. Like professional athletes who prioritize team success over individual statistics, organizational excellence requires members who subordinate personal advancement to collective achievement.
Communication Adaptation
The narrative reveals subtle differences between Abraham’s initial instructions, actual events, and Eliezer’s subsequent reporting. For example, in the actual encounter, Eliezer gave Rebecca jewelry before asking her name (Genesis 24:22-23), while in his retelling, he described asking her name before presenting gifts (Genesis 24:47).
These narrative variations might represent mere sequential reporting differences, but commentators like Nachshoni (1998) suggest deliberate adaptation to cultural expectations and audience needs. Eliezer maintained core message integrity while adjusting presentation to enhance understanding and acceptance.
This communication flexibility offers important guidance for contemporary managers, particularly in performance evaluation contexts. Effective managers maintain consistency in core assessment content across verbal discussions, written evaluations, and other communications while adapting delivery approach to recipient needs. This becomes particularly critical in corrective action or termination scenarios, where communication clarity prevents surprise negative outcomes.
Deliverables
Effective delegation requires managers to:
- Articulate Clear Objectives: Communicate mission parameters, expectations, and boundaries before requesting commitment.
- Secure Informed Commitment: Obtain explicit agreement only after ensuring full understanding of responsibilities and challenges.
- Provide Comprehensive Resources: Allocate sufficient resources proportionate to mission importance rather than minimal provisions.
- Establish Support Systems: Create assistance mechanisms throughout the entire mission lifecycle rather than merely initiation phases.
- Maintain Strategic Simplicity: Develop straightforward plans with minimal steps—reducing implementation complexity increases success probability.
- Align Assignments with Capabilities: Match delegated responsibilities to individual strengths and demonstrated reliability.
Discussion Questions
- If a manager wants to convey an important point to someone and make sure they understood the point, how should they go about proving the point?
- Have you ever had an employee who would not listen? What would you do and/or what did you do?
- Rebecca went out of her way to help Eliezer. What have you ever done for a stranger? How did this feel?
