7 Levels Of Delegation For Managers To Empower Teams

Delegation is a crucial skill for every manager. Yet it's a hard skill to gain and tricky to execute.

On one hand, managers should delegate as much as possible, to empower teams and avoid micro-management. On the other hand, they should mitigate the risk and impact of bad decisions.

It was an eye-opening moment for me when I realized that delegation is not a binary thing.

Between full delegation and not delegating at all, there are several "shades of gray".
Defining precisely which level of delegation we're agreeing to, aligns the expectations of both sides, avoids frustration, and limits the impact of potentially bad decisions.

Here is a very useful delegation framework created by Management 3.0:

#1. Define a list of tasks and decisions you want to set delegation policy for

It can be anything from buying a book for the team library to hiring new team members.

#2. Discuss which level of delegation from the following 7 should be used

Tell: I will tell them what to do
Sell: I will try to explain my decision to them
Consult: I will consult them before making a decision
Agree: We will agree together, both sides have the right to veto
Advise: They decide, but need to ask me for advice before making a decision
Inquire: I want to be informed of what decision they took
Delegate: I will fully delegate, I don't need to know what decision was taken

During the discussion, you will discover that delegation is context specific. Should it be level 4 or 6? It depends!

The key is to define the safe boundaries in which you can delegate more.

For example, if the cost of the purchase is below $1000 delegation level can be "6. Inquire", if it's above $1000 you require them to advise you before a decision - so level "5 Advise".

#3. Revisit the delegation list and celebrate

Revisiting the delegation list regularly e.g. once a quarter will allow you to reflect on where your team members are making good decisions and gaining more trust. This means you can raise the delegation level! Take time to celebrate the progress!