Delegation Worksheets - Bruns Leadership Consulting

Delegation Worksheets
Five Critical Questions to Guide Your Delegation
TOPIC
VISION
CRITICAL
QUESTION
1. What is the overall
goal you are trying to
achieve?
TO DO
a. Describe success in detail
b. Determine key stakeholders
ANALYSIS
2. What are the critical
and relevant aspects
of the situation that
must be addressed?
c. Articulate as much of the
situation as time and
importance dictate
d. Decide what stake you have
in the successful outcome
of the task
IMPORTANCE
3. What is your interest
and involvement in
the situation?
e. Decide and inform the
person(s) to whom you are
delegating of your “must
haves” versus your “niceto-haves”
versus your
“non-directeds” (see
page 2)
CAPABILITY
FOLLOW
THROUGH
4. What level of
delegation will be
appropriate with the
person(s) to whom
you are delegating?
5. How do you plan to
follow up on the
delegated task?
f. Evaluate the person you are
proposing to delegate to
and determine the
appropriate level of
delegation: Tell/ Sell/
Test/ Consult/ Delegate
(see page 3)
g. Determine your own work
plan for follow-through,
depending upon the level
of delegation you’ve
identified
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Delegation Worksheets
The Target Delegation Model
1. List your “must haves” – these outcomes
or ways the task is accomplished are nonnegotiable
for whatever reason
2. List your “nice-to-haves” – you care about
these outcomes or ways the task is
accomplished but you can allow some
leeway to the person to whom you are
delegating
3. List your “non-directed” – these outcomes
or ways the task is accomplished can be
left entirely up to the person to whom you
are delegating
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Delegation Worksheets
Delegation Level Definitions
Tell: Use when -
• subordinates or team members are low ability or low willingness
• you have no options yourself – it must be done a certain way
• your “must have” target zone is nearly total
• there is a very high cost of non-performance
• there is low trust
• you cannot tolerate surprises
Sell: Use when –
• subordinates or team members have moderate ability but low willingness
• “buy-in” is very important to the outcome
• your “must have” target zone is large
• you have already decided on how the task should be performed,
• there is a high cost of non-performance
• you are beginning to build trust
• you don’t want surprises
Test: Use when –
• subordinates or team members have ability and willingness
• you have ideas but are open to other ideas and insights
• you are open to being questioned
• your “must have” target zone is moderate
• there is trust developing
• you don’t expect surprises
Consult: Use when –
• subordinates or team members have moderately high ability and willingness
• you want subordinates to have high buy-in to the project or task
• others might have innovative ideas or know more than you do
• your “must have” target zone is quite small
• you can define the vision and but need to know the “how”
• there is high trust
• you know there will be no surprises
Delegate: Use when –
• subordinates or team members are high ability and high willingness
• your belief in your subordinates’ ability is high
• you’re sure others have good ideas or know more than you do
• you can delegate every aspect, your “must have” zone is nearly zero
• you can define the vision and don’t need to know the “how”
• there is very high trust
• surprises are not an issue
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