Home > Tactics > Decision Velocity > Delegation

Problem: Leaders often waste time on tasks that others could handle, limiting their focus on high-impact work.

Solution: Delegate responsibilities thoughtfully, allowing the team to grow while freeing up leaders for more strategic tasks.

Intro:

If you’re spending long hours on tasks you don’t enjoy or tasks that don’t truly require your involvement, it may be time to delegate. Learning how to delegate effectively can free up your time for high-impact decisions, boost team engagement, and improve overall productivity.

Tools:

• To delegate effectively, first identify which tasks truly need your attention and which can be entrusted to others. Use the Important/Urgent framework to guide your decisions:
• Important & Urgent: Handle these yourself, as they likely involve immediate, high-impact decisions.
• Important but Not Urgent: Consider delegating these to develop your team’s skills, freeing your time for strategic work.
• Not Important but Urgent: Delegate these tasks right away. They require action but not necessarily your expertise.
• Not Important & Not Urgent: Evaluate if these tasks are necessary. If so, delegate or automate where possible.
• Delegation isn’t about handing off busywork; it’s about entrusting others with responsibility and decision-making. When you delegate thoughtfully, you create space for your team to grow and for you to concentrate on what truly moves your business forward.
• Employ the CLEAR framework for delegation.
• Context: Provide background so your team understands the importance of the task.
• Limits: Set clear boundaries and clarify constraints.
• Expectations: Define priorities, timelines, and deliverables for clear direction.
• Accountability: Specify who owns each aspect of the task.
• Review: Give feedback for continuous improvement and recognition of results.
• Determine which tasks do not require your direct input. Delegating these tasks can free you to focus on high-impact areas and empower your team to handle more.
• Routine administrative work
• Projects outside your core expertise
• Opportunities for team development and skill growth
• Create a Playbook Library
• When you delegate something, keep track of how you did it. Share your “playbooks” with your teammates in the Single Source of Truth.
• Establish transparent communication channels with your team. Regular check-ins ensure clarity, give space for questions, and allow you to provide guidance or course-correct as needed. Building this level of rapport ensures tasks stay aligned with your expectations.
• Project management tools like Asana, Loom, Trello, and Basecamp are designed to keep tasks on track, centralize communication, and facilitate collaboration. Use these platforms to set deadlines, track progress, and simplify delegation processes.
• Effective delegation starts with a mindset shift: trust your team’s abilities and be open to diverse approaches. Allow space for learning and growth, and empower your team by giving them the resources they need to excel.