Delegate the result, not the steps. Write a five-line brief. Name the level of authority out loud. Hand over the whole piece, not fragments. Resist taking it back when the first draft is not yours. And review the finished work against the brief, then give the credit. Six strategies, and the fifth is the one most managers break in week one.
The six strategies
1. Results, not steps. "A one-page summary the client can decide from" rather than "open the template, copy the numbers, then..."
2. The five-line brief. Result, audience, must-haves, due date, done checks. Written, not spoken.
3. Name the level. "You decide and tell me" or "you recommend, I decide." Two people assuming different levels is the cause of most delegation friction.
4. The whole piece. Delegating half a task means you still own the task. Hand over something with an edge the person can finish.
5. Do not take it back. The first draft will not be how you would have done it. If it meets the brief, accept it. If it does not, send it back with a note, not with your edits. Taking the work back teaches everyone that delegation is temporary.
6. Review and credit. Compare with the brief within a day. Pass the credit on by name.
Why strategy five is the hard one
A rough draft lands at 5 p.m. and it is quicker to fix it than to explain. So you fix it. The person learns their work gets rewritten, stops trying to meet the brief, and you own the task again by month two. The fix is a note instead of an edit: "The summary needs to come first; move it and resend."
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker makes strategy five easier because the note writes itself. When the person sends the work, M-Tracker compares it with the brief and writes a plain review they see first: what works, what is missing, what to change. They fix it before you ever see it. What reaches you already meets the brief, and the urge to take it back has nothing to grab.
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Questions people ask
What if the person asks me to just do it?
Say no kindly and point at the brief. The second time they will not ask.
How much authority should I give at first?
Level three or four: recommend, or decide and tell me. Move up as results arrive.
Can I delegate to a peer?
With their agreement and a brief, yes. The same six strategies apply.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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