The Delegation Script

A client called me last week frustrated that his team "just doesn't take ownership."

I asked him to walk me through the last time he delegated something.

He said, "I told Marcus to handle the client onboarding process."

I asked what exactly he told Marcus.

He said, "To handle it."

There it is.

Most owners think delegation is about handing off tasks. It isn't. It's about transferring clarity. When you say "handle it," you haven't delegated anything. You've just moved your anxiety to someone else's desk while keeping the actual decision-making firmly in your own hands.

Marcus doesn't know what "done" looks like. He doesn't know what decisions he can make alone versus what needs your input. He doesn't know the standard you're measuring against. So he either does nothing and waits, or he does something and gets it wrong, and either way you end up back in the middle of it.

The owners who build teams that actually run without them don't delegate tasks. They delegate outcomes, authority, and context. They have a script, not a script in the theatrical sense, but a consistent way of transferring work that leaves no room for ambiguity.

When your team underperforms, the first question worth asking isn't what's wrong with them.

It's whether you actually gave them what they needed to succeed.

What does your delegation process look like right now, and be honest with yourself?

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From "The Owner's Almanac" - 90 days to build a business that runs without you. Available on Amazon.