The Eight Levels of Delegation Autonomy
Eight levels from "gather info, I decide" to "they own it completely." Name the level explicitly at handoff, or both sides default to the level that protects them.
Delegation isn't binary. Match the level to the person's readiness × the task's risk. Level 1 is "gather info, I decide, I act" — new task, new person, high stakes. Level 8 is "they own it completely, no updates needed" — full trust, their domain.
The levels in between are the work: research with pros/cons, recommend with approval, decide with veto window, act and inform, act and only escalate on failure. Most managers operate at exactly one or two levels for everything, which is why their reports stop growing.
The discipline is to name the level explicitly at handoff. "This is a Level 4 — research, decide, get my approval, then act." Without a named level, both sides default to the level that protects them, and you end up either micromanaging or abdicating.