levels of delegation

Also called: delegation levels, levels of freedom

A scale of how much freedom a person gets on a task, from "gather facts and I decide" through "propose and I approve" to "decide and tell me afterwards". The right level depends on the person's experience with this task and on the cost of a mistake.

Levels of delegation describe how much freedom a person gets on a task. A simple four-step scale: 1, gather the facts and I decide; 2, propose and I approve; 3, decide and tell me after; 4, it's yours, and we review it monthly. The key idea is that freedom belongs to a person on a task, not to the person: someone can be an expert on schedule changes and a beginner on refunds, and should get two different levels.

The right level depends mainly on two things: the person's experience with this specific task (how many they've done, how often the work came back) and the cost of a mistake, such as money leaving the company or a promise to a customer. Then ask the person how much support they want. The wrong level hurts both ways: too low and an expert waits for approvals and stops thinking; too high and a beginner guesses, and customers pay for it. Autonomy tends to raise motivation and learning, but only together with clear goals and the skill to use it.

Say each level out loud and write it into the brief; in a remote team nobody watches over a shoulder, and the written level replaces guessing. Plan the climb: what it would take to move to the next level and when you'll look again. A lower level on a hard task, with support, can be a stretch rather than a demotion. And don't silently drop someone a level on a busy day: a level you take back without a word was never really given.

Example

Klasna's Support team uses a starting rule on six months of data per person and ticket type: at least 50 solved with under 5% reopened → level 3; at least 20 solved → level 2; fewer → level 1. Level 4 never comes from the table alone. Solo rate = solved ÷ (solved + handed up).

Person, ticket type	Solved	Handed up	Solo rate	Reopened	Start level
Taras, schedule changes	900	3	99.67%	4.00% (36)	3
Taras, payment questions	700	8	98.87%	9.00% (63)	2
Taras, refund requests	60	70	46.15%	25.00% (15)	2
Bohdan, video failures	160	2	98.77%	1.88% (3)	3
Maryna, refund requests	40	45	47.06%	5.00% (2)	2

Check two rows: Taras on refunds, 60 ÷ (60 + 70) = 46.15% solo and 15 ÷ 60 = 25% reopened; Maryna, 40 ÷ 85 = 47.06% and 2 ÷ 40 = 5%, which is not under 5%, so level 2.

Three lessons from one table. Volume isn't freedom: Taras's 700 payment questions start at level 2 because 9% come back. The slowest first replier, Bohdan, is the video-failure expert. And Maryna's level 2 on refunds becomes a stretch: she proposes, Olha approves for a month, and the brief says what level 3 would take.

Common mistakes

One level per person. Freedom belongs to a person on a task; the same person can be level 3 on one type and level 2 on another.
Choosing by volume or speed. The most tickets closed or the fastest reply says little about how often the work comes back.
Leaving the level unspoken. If it isn't said and written, people guess, and guesses differ.
Letting the table decide everything. Add the cost of a mistake and the person's own view; the top level always needs a conversation.
Dropping someone a level silently. Taking a decision back on a busy day undoes the level for months.

Learn it in the course

Levels of freedom: matching person and task · Four levels of freedom, set per person and per task from experience on that task, the cost of a mistake and the person's own view.