Delegation & trust
For: Anyone who has work to give and people who could do it
The gap between how managers think they delegate and how their teams experience it is enormous. A 10-question check on how — and how trustingly — you actually hand work over.
- 10 questions
- 3 dimensions
- ~3-4 min
- Self · Peer · Both
Delegation is where most managers' self-image diverges most sharply from reality. Almost everyone thinks they delegate well; almost no one does. The pattern is consistent: scope vague, hovering frequent, silent take-backs common, recognition uneven. This template zeroes in on three dimensions — when you delegate vs when you do, how you delegate when you do, and what your behavior signals about trust. 10 questions across three dimensions, calibrated for the receiving side because the giver almost never sees it.
How it works
Run it on yourself first — write specific answers, name actual moments. Then send it to people you delegate work to (or to peers if you don't have direct reports — they see the same patterns from a different angle). The gap between your view and theirs is where the real work is.
What's inside — 10 questions across 3 dimensions
When you delegate vs when you do
whether you notice work that could be handed off, and what stops you
How you delegate
scope clarity, hovering vs trust, intent behind check-ins, post-delivery feedback
What you signal about trust
congruence between stated trust and revealed behavior, especially under pressure
The questions, in full
Every question is included below. You answer them yourself first, then send the same set to the people who've seen you work.
When you delegate vs when you do
- Q1Rating (1-5)
This person notices when they're doing work that someone on their team could do — and acts on it.
- Q2Rating (1-5)
When this person takes work back, they say so explicitly — they don't quietly redo it without telling anyone.
- Q3Open answer
What's something you've watched this person do themselves that someone on the team could probably handle? Why do you think they hold onto it?
How you delegate
- Q4Rating (1-5)
When this person hands me work, the scope is clear: I know what's mine, what's not, and what success looks like.
- Q5Rating (1-5)
After this person delegates, they don't hover — they trust the work to happen, and check in at sensible intervals.
- Q6Multiple choice
When this person asks how something's going, it usually feels like...
- — Genuine support — they want to help if I'm stuck
- — A check on whether I'm doing it right (light surveillance)
- — A pretext to take it back
- — Hard to tell — depends on the day
- — They don't really check in until the deadline
- Q7Rating (1-5)
When the work gets delivered, this person responds with feedback that's specific — not just 'looks good' or silent acceptance.
What you signal about trust
- Q8Rating (1-5)
This person's behavior matches what they say about trusting the team — they don't say 'I trust you' and then signal otherwise.
- Q9Rating (1-5)
When something fails, this person backs the people involved — they don't quietly distance themselves.
- Q10Open answer
What's something this person could let go of that would make you feel more trusted?
The research behind these questions
Drawn from Liz Wiseman's Multipliers on amplifying-vs-diminishing leadership, Stephen Covey's quadrant framework, Donna Genett's specific delegation framework (If You Want It Done Right), Carol Walker's HBR research on first-time-manager delegation patterns, and Amy Edmondson on psychological safety enabling delegated risk-taking. Each question targets a specific behavior the receiving side can observe — not vague 'good delegator' rating.
References
- — Liz Wiseman — Multipliers (2010)
- — Stephen Covey — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- — Donna Genett — If You Want It Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself
- — Carol Walker — Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves (HBR)
- — Amy Edmondson — The Fearless Organization
- — Kim Scott — Radical Candor
Ready to run this round on yourself?
Sign up, pick this template, answer it about yourself, and send the same questions to the people who've been in the room with you. The gap between your view and theirs is where the actual learning lives.