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.
Purpose: 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.
Instructions: 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.
1.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.
I regularly delegate tasks that others could handle, rather than holding on to work because it feels quicker to do it myself
I use delegation deliberately to build team members' skills, not just to manage my own workload
I delegate tasks that stretch people appropriately, not just the work nobody else wants
I let go of tasks I enjoy when someone else would benefit more from doing them
I can identify specific tasks I've delegated in the past month that were genuinely developmental for the person
2.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.
I think carefully about who is best placed for a task, not just who is available
I consider each person's current confidence and experience before deciding what to hand over
I adjust how much support and direction I offer based on the individual, not a one-size approach
I actively build people's readiness for tasks before delegating, rather than dropping them in at the deep end
I am aware of each team member's ambitions and consider these when allocating stretch work
3.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.
When I delegate, I explain the outcome expected, not just the tasks involved
I make sure people understand why the task matters, not just what to do
I clarify the decisions people can make independently versus where they need to involve me
Before walking away, I check the person understands what's expected and has what they need
I provide access to the resources, information, and support needed to complete the task
4.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.
I agree check-in points upfront rather than chasing for updates mid-task
When I check in, I ask questions rather than tell people what to do
I allow people to make mistakes on lower-stakes work as part of their development
When someone brings me a problem, I ask what they've already tried before offering my view
I give credit clearly to the person who did the work, not to myself