Seven Levels of Delegation

When we are doing management work, it is inevitable that we will delegate tasks to team members. At this point, how to delegate tasks is quite important. Just like most things in the world, delegation is not black and white, but exists in shades of gray.
Jurgen Appelo, author of books such as “How to Change the World” and “Management 3.0”, proposes that we think of delegation as something that is not binary, and that part of the art of management has to do with finding the right balance in it. Jurgen proposes seven different levels of delegation in management:

• Say: The traditional. It’s telling someone what to do. The manager makes the decision and then tells the others what it is. There is little room for debate or negotiation.
  1️⃣ I told you to do

• Sell: When the manager tries to convince others that the decision he or she is making is a good one and they should therefore accept it.
  2️⃣ I persuaded you to do

• Consult: When the manager gathers information from the team before making a decision.
  3️⃣ After the decision, I made the decision

• Agree: Implies that there is consensus about the decision between the manager and the team, or the decision is made jointly. It is the most difficult because it requires more time.
  4️⃣ After the decision, we reached a consensus

• Advice: When the manager influences the decision made by the team.
  5️⃣ I adviced，team made the decision

• Ask: Once the team has made the decision, the manager asks for information about the decision.
  6️⃣ Team made the decision, I asked for information

• Delegate: The manager has zero influence on the decision. It is made entirely by the team.
  7️⃣ Team made the decision