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    Interactive assessment

    Delegation Effectiveness Audit

    Assess your delegation practice across four dimensions: what you delegate, to whom, how clearly you brief, and how well you follow through.

    Most managers default to one of two failure modes: holding on to work they should let go of, or handing work off without the clarity or support people need. Both cost the team. This audit helps you identify exactly where your delegation practice breaks down. Adapted from research by Hackman and Oldham (1976) on job design and Blanchard (1985) on situational leadership. A strong delegation practice is the highest-impact management behaviour for team capability growth.

    Questions or items
    20 questions or items
    Completion time
    Around 10 minutes
    Dimensions
    What You Delegate, To Whom You Delegate, How Clearly You Brief, Follow-Through Without Hovering
    What you receive
    Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    What it covers

    • What You Delegate
    • To Whom You Delegate
    • How Clearly You Brief
    • Follow-Through Without Hovering

    Rate each statement from 1 (Rarely or never true of me) to 5 (Almost always true of me). Think about what you actually do, not what you intend to do.

    Results: Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    How this interactive diagnostic works

    Read what it covers here first. Nothing is saved or sent until you continue. Your result is calculated once every required item is answered.

    If it asks for your first name and work email, you enter them in the diagnostic itself. This page sends nothing.

    Statements in this diagnostic

    Statements are grouped by section. Answer each one for the situation named in the instructions, using the scale shown.

    What You Delegate

    The starting point is choosing the right tasks to delegate. Under-delegating keeps capable people underused; over-delegating risks quality and overloads people.

    1. I regularly delegate tasks that others could handle, rather than holding on to work because it feels quicker to do it myself
    2. I use delegation deliberately to build team members' skills, not just to manage my own workload
    3. I delegate tasks that stretch people appropriately, not just the work nobody else wants
    4. I let go of tasks I enjoy when someone else would benefit more from doing them
    5. I can identify specific tasks I've delegated in the past month that were genuinely developmental for the person

    To Whom You Delegate

    Matching the right task to the right person, based on capability, readiness, and development need, determines whether delegation builds or depletes the team.

    1. I think carefully about who is best placed for a task, not just who is available
    2. I consider each person's current confidence and experience before deciding what to hand over
    3. I adjust how much support and direction I offer based on the individual, not a one-size approach
    4. I actively build people's readiness for tasks before delegating, rather than dropping them in at the deep end
    5. I am aware of each team member's ambitions and consider these when allocating stretch work

    How Clearly You Brief

    A clear brief is the difference between delegation and abdication. People need to understand the outcome, the boundaries, and the support available.

    1. When I delegate, I explain the outcome expected, not just the tasks involved
    2. I make sure people understand why the task matters, not just what to do
    3. I clarify the decisions people can make independently versus where they need to involve me
    4. Before walking away, I check the person understands what's expected and has what they need
    5. I provide access to the resources, information, and support needed to complete the task

    Follow-Through Without Hovering

    The final test of delegation is what happens after the handover. Disappearing creates anxiety; hovering removes ownership. The goal is visible support without interference.

    1. I agree check-in points upfront rather than chasing for updates mid-task
    2. When I check in, I ask questions rather than tell people what to do
    3. I allow people to make mistakes on lower-stakes work as part of their development
    4. When someone brings me a problem, I ask what they've already tried before offering my view
    5. I give credit clearly to the person who did the work, not to myself

    How the result is read

    Your answers are totalled for each section and overall. Each total falls into one of the bands below.

    • Developing, 20 to 44: Your delegation practice has significant gaps. You're likely either holding on to too much (becoming a bottleneck and limiting your team's growth) or handing work off without the clarity people need. Your lowest-scoring section is where to start. Even one change, done consistently, will make a visible difference within a month.
    • Getting There, 45 to 64: You delegate reasonably well in some areas but have clear development points. Look at your section scores to identify the specific dimension holding you back. Most managers at this level are strong on task selection but weaker on follow-through, or vice versa. Targeted practice in your lowest section will lift the overall score quickly.
    • Capable Delegator, 65 to 84: You delegate well. Your team is benefiting from your approach. The gap between here and outstanding usually lies in the nuance: how you build readiness before delegating, how you ask questions rather than directing during check-ins, and whether you're stretching your best people enough.
    • Strong Delegator, 85 to 100: Your delegation practice is a genuine strength. Your team has autonomy, grows through challenge, and trusts your follow-through. Focus on whether you're developing the next generation of people who can delegate as well as you do.

    Sources named in this diagnostic

    • Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, P. and Zigarmi, D. (1985) Leadership and the One Minute Manager. New York: William Morrow.
    • Hackman, J.R. and Oldham, G.R. (1976) 'Motivation through the design of work', Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), pp. 250-279.
    • Oncken, W. and Wass, D.L. (1974) 'Management time: who's got the monkey?', Harvard Business Review, 52(6), pp. 75-80.
    • Yukl, G. (2013) Leadership in Organizations, 8th edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

    Where to take the next step

    Our management development programmes build practical skills, confidence and capability for managers and leaders.

    Explore Management Development

    Frequently asked questions

    What does the Delegation Effectiveness Audit measure?

    Most managers default to one of two failure modes: holding on to work they should let go of, or handing work off without the clarity or support people need. Both cost the team. This audit helps you identify exactly where your delegation practice breaks down. Adapted from research by Hackman and Oldham (1976) on job design and Blanchard (1985) on situational leadership. A strong delegation practice is the highest-impact management behaviour for team capability growth.

    How many questions are in the Delegation Effectiveness Audit?

    It contains 20 questions grouped into 4 dimensions: What You Delegate, To Whom You Delegate, How Clearly You Brief, Follow-Through Without Hovering.

    How is the Delegation Effectiveness Audit scored?

    Responses are totalled within each section and across the diagnostic, and each total falls into a result band.

    What happens after I complete the Delegation Effectiveness Audit?

    Once the required items are answered, you enter your first name and email to see your results: an overall interpretation, section scores and development guidance.

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