Delegation Planning Guide

Decide what to delegate, to whom, and how to set them up to succeed.

1
Should I Delegate This?
Check all that apply, then decide
Delegate if…
  • Someone else has — or could build — the needed skill
  • Doing it myself limits time for higher-value work
  • A team member would benefit from the stretch
  • My leader expects me operating at a higher level
  • Keeping it creates a bottleneck or signals distrust
Legitimate reasons to retain
  • Requires authority or accountability only I hold
  • Confidentiality or governance constraints apply
  • No one is close to the required capability yet
  • Time-sensitivity makes a handoff impractical now
2
Plan the Delegation
Rate 1 (Low) → 5 (High)
Skill & Capability
Knowledge, experience, problem-solving
LowHigh
Technical skill
Relevant experience
Motivation & Confidence
Interest, initiative, ownership
LowHigh
Interest & enthusiasm
Confidence & initiative
Capacity & Bandwidth
Availability, competing demands
LowHigh
Current availability
Competing priorities
New to this work. Guide closely, explain reasoning, check in frequently.
Motivated but needs structure. Set clear expectations and milestones.
Capable but needs confidence. Step back, stay available and affirming.
Ready to own this. Assign clearly, set milestones, then get out of the way.