delegating-work

What this skill does

# Delegating Work

## Scope

**Covers**
- Delegating a specific project/problem/decision to a direct report (or cross-functional owner)
- Transferring **context without control** (clear outcomes + guardrails, not step-by-step instructions)
- Setting **decision rights**, check-in cadence, and “in-the-details” quality reviews without micromanaging

**When to use**
- “Help me delegate this project/task to someone on my team.”
- “I’m holding onto too much / I need to give away my Lego.”
- “I’m worried I’m micromanaging—how do I stay in the details but empower ownership?”
- “Draft a delegation brief + decision rights + check-in plan.”

**When NOT to use**
- The work is primarily a **performance problem** (use coaching/feedback workflows instead)
- You need to decide *what* work to do (prioritization/scope first)
- You lack a clear outcome, constraints, or success criteria (do a quick problem-definition first)

## Inputs

**Minimum required**
- The work item to delegate (project/problem/decision) + why now
- Desired outcome (definition of done) + success metrics or acceptance criteria
- Constraints/non-negotiables (timeline, budget, quality bar, policies, stakeholders)
- Delegatee context (role, current load, experience level, growth goals if relevant)

**Missing-info strategy**
- Ask up to 5 questions from [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).
- If details are unavailable, proceed with explicit assumptions and label unknowns.

## Outputs (deliverables)

Produce a **Delegation Pack** (Markdown in-chat, or files if requested) in this order:
1) **Delegation brief** (outcome, context, constraints, stakeholders, timeline)
2) **Decision rights + guardrails** (what they can decide, escalation triggers, review points)
3) **Context handoff pack** (links, background, “known gotchas”, example outputs)
4) **Execution cadence** (check-ins, update format, what “good” looks like)
5) **Review plan** (how to be in the details without telling them how to do it)
6) **Debrief plan** (learning capture + ownership updates)
7) **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** (always included)

Templates: [references/TEMPLATES.md](references/TEMPLATES.md)

## Workflow (8 steps)

### 1) Frame the delegation decision
- **Inputs:** Work item + why now; constraints.
- **Actions:** Define the outcome, the “why” (business context), and what must not change (non-negotiables). Decide what “good” looks like.
- **Outputs:** Draft Delegation Brief (top section).
- **Checks:** The outcome is measurable/testable (someone can say “done” unambiguously).

### 2) Pick the owner + choose the autonomy level
- **Inputs:** Candidate owner(s); their experience and growth goals.
- **Actions:** Select the delegatee. Set an explicit autonomy level (e.g., “propose + I approve” vs “you decide, inform me”). Call out which parts are “on assignment” vs “high flexibility.”
- **Outputs:** Owner + autonomy statement + boundaries.
- **Checks:** Both of you can repeat: “What decisions are yours vs mine?”

### 3) Transfer context (not instructions)
- **Inputs:** Background docs; prior decisions; stakeholders; constraints.
- **Actions:** Provide full context so the owner can connect the dots. Share the “why”, the tradeoffs, and known pitfalls. Avoid prescribing the exact path.
- **Outputs:** Context Handoff Pack.
- **Checks:** Owner can explain the problem, constraints, and success criteria in their own words.

### 4) Define decision rights + guardrails
- **Inputs:** Non-negotiables; risks; stakeholders.
- **Actions:** Write decision rights, escalation triggers, and review points. Set “red lines” (quality, policy, safety, customer impact).
- **Outputs:** Decision Rights + Guardrails.
- **Checks:** Escalation triggers are specific (not “if it feels risky”).

### 5) Align on plan + milestones (owner-led)
- **Inputs:** Draft Delegation Brief + guardrails.
- **Actions:** Ask the owner to propose a plan, milestones, and tradeoffs. Act as a thought partner: ask questions instead of giving the answer.
- **Outputs:** Milestone plan + first-week plan.
- **Checks:** Plan has milestones tied to outcomes, not just activities.

### 6) Set the execution cadence
- **Inputs:** Timeline; team routines; stakeholder needs.
- **Actions:** Set check-in frequency, update format, and what you want to see (risks, decisions, asks). Establish how you’ll “refuse to rule” unless a trigger is hit.
- **Outputs:** Cadence + Update Template.
- **Checks:** Check-ins focus on outcomes/risks/decisions, not task-by-task status.

### 7) Review in the details without micromanaging
- **Inputs:** Work artifacts; review points.
- **Actions:** Review output quality via artifacts (docs, specs, results) and criteria. When the team is struggling with the *right* problems, step back. When it’s the wrong problem, intervene with clarity on outcome/guardrails.
- **Outputs:** Review notes + decisions (approve/adjust/escalate).
- **Checks:** Feedback is framed as “quality bar + constraints” (not “do it my way”).

### 8) Close the loop (debrief + “give away the Lego”)
- **Inputs:** Final deliverable; what happened; learnings.
- **Actions:** Debrief what worked/what didn’t, update ownership maps, and explicitly acknowledge the new owner. Capture improvements to templates/guardrails.
- **Outputs:** Debrief notes + next delegation candidates.
- **Checks:** Ownership is durable (not “it snaps back to you” after delivery).

## Quality gate (required)
- Run [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and score with [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).
- Always include: **Risks**, **Open questions**, **Next steps**.

## Examples

**Example 1:** “Delegate discovery + recommendation for improving onboarding activation to my PM.”  
Expected: delegation brief, decision rights (what PM decides vs escalates), context pack (data + constraints), weekly cadence, review plan for the final recommendation doc.

**Example 2:** “Delegate building a lightweight internal tool to an engineer, but I’m worried about security/compliance.”  
Expected: guardrails + escalation triggers, clear non-negotiables, review points for design + launch readiness, and a debrief plan.

**Boundary example:** “Delegate ‘make the company strategy better.’”  
Response: require a narrower outcome (decision to support, artifacts, time box) before producing the Delegation Pack.