Delegation of tasks and delegation of authority. A task is work: write the report, run the call. Authority is the right to decide: choose the vendor, approve the design. Most managers delegate tasks freely and authority rarely, which is why work still queues at their desk. Real delegation hands over enough of both that the task can finish without a round trip.
Delegating tasks
The work itself. Someone else writes, builds, calls or analyzes. The manager still decides what is good and what happens next. This is where most delegation stops, and it does save hours. It does not save the manager from being the bottleneck, because every finished task still needs their decision.
Delegating authority
The right to decide, within limits. "Choose the vendor; stay under $20,000." "Approve the design if it meets the brand guide." The person does not just do the work; they close it. This is what frees a manager's week, and it is what most managers are nervous about.
Why authority is harder to hand over
Fear of a bad decision with the manager's name on it. The fix is not to keep the authority. It is to set the limits clearly and review the decisions after, so a bad one is caught and learned from without the manager having to pre-approve every good one.
The right mix
Delegate the task and enough authority to finish it, with limits written into the brief. "Decide the format; keep it to one page; the numbers must match the dashboard." The person owns the result. The manager reviews it against the limits.
Where M-Tracker fits
The limits that make delegated authority safe live in the brief, and M-Tracker checks the work against them. Each task has a brief with the result and the must-haves. When the person sends the work, M-Tracker compares it with the brief and writes a plain review they see first. The manager sees that the limits were met without having pre-approved each step. Authority moved; the standard held.
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Questions people ask
Can you delegate authority without a task?
Yes. "You approve expenses under $500" is authority with no single task attached.
What are the other "two types" people mention?
Some split by direction, downward and upward, or by formality. Task and authority is the split that explains why delegation fails.
How much authority is too much?
More than the brief's limits can hold. Widen the limits as results come in.
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