Capacity and delegation  ·  2 min read

Lists vary, but a version that holds up is clarity, capability and check-in. Clarity: the result, the audience and the must-haves, written down. Capability: the person has the skill and the hours. Check-in: one agreed point where the finished work is reviewed, not a stream of questions in the middle. Each C prevents a specific way delegation fails.

Five levels of delegation, from do exactly this to own itFive levels of delegation, from do exactly this to own itLEVELYOU SAYWHAT HAPPENS1Do exactly thisThey do it; you decided2Look into it, report backYou decide with their facts3RecommendYou decide from their options4Decide, then tell meThey decide; you stay informed5Own itThey decide; you hear about resultsSay the level out loud. Most delegation fights are two people assuming different levels.
Clarity sets the task. Capability picks the person. The check-in is where the level gets confirmed.
1Capacity and delegation

Clarity

The failure it prevents: the person does what they understood, which was not what you meant. Clarity is five lines, written before the handover: result, audience, must-haves, due date, how you will both know it is done.

2Capacity and delegation

Capability

The failure it prevents: the right task handed to the wrong person, or the right person with no hours. Ask two questions before delegating. Can they do this at 70 percent? Do they have the time this week? A yes to the first and a no to the second is the most common way delegation fails quietly.

3Capacity and delegation

Check-in

The failure it prevents: either hovering, or finding out at the deadline. One agreed moment, usually when the finished work is ready, where it is compared with the brief. Not daily questions. Not silence until the due date. One point, known in advance.

4Capacity and delegation

The three together

Clarity before, capability at the handover, check-in at the end. Nothing in the middle unless the person asks. That shape is what makes delegation feel like trust rather than abandonment or surveillance.

How M-Tracker helps

Where M-Tracker fits

M-Tracker holds the first and third C for every delegated task. The brief is the clarity. When the person sends the work, M-Tracker compares it with the brief and writes a plain review they see first, which is the check-in, done the moment the work is ready rather than when your calendar allows. Capability stays your call, and the capacity view shows who actually has hours this week.

Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.

How a task moves through M-Tracker: brief, work, review, improve, then the manager1BriefResult, audience,must include, due.Files and linksattached.2WorkThe person does itand attaches whatthey made.3ReviewM-Tracker comparesthe work with thebrief. One plainparagraph.4ImproveThey fix what ismissing while it isfresh.5ManagerSees work thatalready passed itsown test.No screenshots. No scores. The person sees the review first.
FAQ

Questions people ask

What other C's do people use?

Communication, confidence, control, commitment. Good words. The three above are the ones that map to how delegation fails.

How often should the check-in be?

Once, at the end, for most tasks. For long tasks, at agreed milestones.

What if the person wants more check-ins?

Give them. Check-ins the person asks for are support. Check-ins the manager imposes are micromanagement.

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