Thread by @ryanseamons

1/ Delegation isn't just an on/off switch.

Here's a model for delegation that enables leaders + employees to align and do more work that matters.

(thread) 👇

2/ Delegation is a continuum. From "Not delegated" all the way to "I don't even need to think about this anymore"

3/ Here are 5 levels you can think about:

1. Do what I say
2. Research
3. Approve
4. Report Back
5. Delegated

4/ Level 1: Do what I say

This is when a leader tells someone exactly what to do. This is great when someone is just starting out. This isn't great when it's micromanagement. It's not scalable.

5/ Level 2: Research

This is getting a task to go learn about something and come back and share what you found. No decision-making enabled yet, but can be very helpful to a leader who needs to get information for a decision.

6/ Level 3: Approve

This is the most common delegation level. Go make a decision, but I have to give a 👍 before you move forward. This comes in a lot of flavors from very top-down to fairly light approval.

7/ Level 4: Report Back

This is where things really start cooking. Go research, make a decision, move forward, and then let me know when you did. This is a good place with a lot of autonomy.

8/ Level 5: Delegated

This is full delegation, where even reporting back isn't necessary. Full trust is extended to handle the decision, situation, or task at hand.

9/ Becoming aware of this model is a good first step.

Realize delegation isn't just on/off.

Where are you on this model?

If you're a leader, how do you delegate? Where are your employees with various tasks?

If you report to a leader, where are you on the continuum?

10/ Once you know where you're at with various parts of your job, think about how you could change.

Could you go from a researcher to seeking approval (work hard to start making recommendations or get in a place where you could take on a task vs just research).

11/ Pain in delegation happens when the leader and the employee aren't on the same page. When a leader expects level 4 and the employee thinks level 2 is all that's needed, that's going to be hard. Visa versa is true as well.

12/ Knowing how to delegate turns someone from working on their business to really building a business. The best leaders are masters of delegation and can focus on deciding what work needs to happen vs doing the work.

13/ Learning how to delegate, especially to executive admins, is one clear way for leaders to unlock massive gains in their own productivity. If you're making over $50/hr, you should be delegating lower-level tasks out ($10-$20/hr tasks).

14/ I've personally gained 15+ hours each week by delegating things to my executive admin (research tasks, content prep for social media, hr admin work ...) and my children (household chores, encouraging them to take more ownership of their education + hobbies).

15/ What have you found works well for delegating?