---
name: delegation-brief
description: Writes a brief for handing a task or project to someone - the outcome, why it matters, constraints, decision rights as a delegation level from Tell to Delegate, resources and contacts, check-in points, and a definition of done. Use when a manager or founder asks to delegate a task, hand off a project, assign ownership, write a handoff note, or give someone autonomy without micromanaging.
---

# Delegation brief

Delegation fails in two ways: the manager keeps every decision (so nothing moved), or hands over a task with no edges (so the result surprises everyone). A good brief fixes both by saying what done looks like and, for each kind of decision, how much authority the person has. We use Management 3.0's 7 delegation levels for that.

## When to use

- Handing a project, task, or recurring responsibility to a direct report, contractor, or peer.
- When someone keeps coming back with "should I...?" questions: the decision rights weren't clear.
- Before a vacation or leave, to hand over an area.
- Not for setting quarterly goals (use okr-draft) or a whole team's mandate (use team-charter).

## What you need

- The task or project, and the person it goes to.
- The outcome you want and the deadline.
- Known constraints: budget, brand, legal, systems, people who must be involved.
- The decisions you expect inside the work. If you don't know them, list the 3 to 5 most likely ones from the task and mark them "[assumption]".

## Steps

1. **State the outcome, not the steps.** One sentence on what will be true when it's done, measurable where possible: "Webinar on 12 March with 150+ registrations", not "organize a webinar".
2. **Say why it matters.** One or two lines linking it to a goal. People make better calls when they know the purpose.
3. **List the constraints.** Hard limits only: budget, dates, tools, policies, who must approve what. If a constraint is a preference, label it as one.
4. **Set decision rights by area.** For each key decision area, pick a level: 1 Tell (I decide and announce), 2 Sell (I decide and explain why), 3 Consult (I decide after your input), 4 Agree (we decide together), 5 Advise (you decide after my advice), 6 Inquire (you decide, then tell me), 7 Delegate (you decide; no need to tell me). Our default for a capable person is 5 or 6 on most areas and 3 or lower only for money, legal, and public statements.
5. **Give resources.** Budget, tools, documents, and named people to ask, with what each can help with.
6. **Set check-ins.** Our default: one early check-in at about 20% of the timeline (to catch a wrong direction cheaply), one before any irreversible step, and a final review. Say what each check-in looks at.
7. **Define done.** 3 to 5 verifiable criteria. Include what to hand back (a doc, a report, a link).

## Output format

```markdown
# Delegation brief — [task] → [person]
**From:** [name] · **Date:** [date] · **Due:** [date]

## Outcome
[One sentence: what will be true when it's done]

## Why it matters
[1–2 lines linked to a goal]

## Constraints
- [Hard limit]
- [Preference, labelled as one]

## Decision rights
| Decision area | Level | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| [area] | [1–7 name] | [e.g., "You decide, tell me after"] |

## Resources
- [Budget / tool / doc]
- [Person] — [what they can help with]

## Check-ins
| When | What we look at |
|---|---|
| [date] | [e.g., plan and first draft] |

## Done means
- [ ] [Verifiable criterion]
- [ ] [What gets handed back]
```

## Example

**Input:** "Hand the customer webinar to Leah (marketing associate). Want it on 12 March, aiming for 150 registrations. Budget $1,200 for promotion. Speaker is our CEO, Omar. Don't want to micromanage but I care about the title and anything that goes out to customers."

**Output:**

```markdown
# Delegation brief — March customer webinar → Leah
**From:** Dana · **Date:** 3 Feb · **Due:** 12 March

## Outcome
A live customer webinar with Omar on 12 March, with 150+ registrations and a recording on the website within 2 days.

## Why it matters
Webinars are our best source of expansion leads; this one supports the Q1 upsell goal.

## Constraints
- Promotion budget: $1,200.
- Date fixed: 12 March (Omar's calendar).
- Preference: keep it to 45 minutes.

## Decision rights
| Decision area | Level | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Webinar title and description | 3 Consult | Propose 2–3 options; I pick |
| Customer emails | 5 Advise | You decide after I comment on the draft |
| Promotion channels and spend | 6 Inquire | You decide; tell me where the money went |
| Platform and logistics | 7 Delegate | Your call |

## Resources
- $1,200 promotion budget
- Last year's webinar deck and email sequence (shared drive)
- Omar — content outline, 30 minutes before 20 Feb
- Raj (ops) — webinar platform access

## Check-ins
| When | What we look at |
|---|---|
| 10 Feb | Title options and the promotion plan |
| 24 Feb | Registration count vs target |
| 13 March | Results and recording link |

## Done means
- [ ] Webinar held on 12 March
- [ ] 150+ registrations (report the number either way)
- [ ] Recording on the website by 14 March
- [ ] One-page summary: registrations, attendance, spend
```

## Checks before you send

- [ ] The outcome is one sentence and could be checked as true or false.
- [ ] Every decision area has a level and a plain-words meaning.
- [ ] Only hard constraints are listed as constraints; preferences are labelled.
- [ ] There is an early check-in before 25% of the timeline.
- [ ] Done has 3 to 5 verifiable criteria.

## Common mistakes

- Delegating the task but keeping every decision at level 1. That's assigning work, not delegating.
- Leaving the decision rights unsaid, then overriding a choice afterwards. Set the level before work starts.
- Checking in only at the end, when a wrong direction is expensive to fix.