Delegating a task vs dumping a task

When a manager is busy, delegation often turns into dumping — the task moves, but nothing else does. The person receiving it is left guessing at what “done” looks like, what constraints apply, and how much authority they have.

Real delegation transfers four things, not one.

1. The outcome, clearly

Not “handle the supplier thing” — “get three quotes for the new laptops by Friday, spec sheet attached”. The person should be able to tell when they’ve succeeded without asking you.

2. The context

Why it matters, what’s happened so far, who else is involved, what the constraints are (budget, timeline, anything political). Context is what lets someone make good decisions when they hit something you didn’t anticipate.

3. The authority

Be explicit about the boundary. “You can decide anything under RM5,000; above that, check with me.” Without this, people either overstep or come back to you for every small thing — and then it wasn’t really delegated.

4. A check-in point

Not hovering. One agreed moment to review progress before the deadline, so problems surface with time to fix them. “Let’s look at where you’ve got to on Wednesday.”

The test

After you’ve handed something over, ask yourself: if this person made a reasonable decision I disagreed with, would that be okay? If yes, you’ve delegated. If you’d want to have been consulted, you’ve only lent the task out — and you should say so.

Dumping is faster in the moment. Delegating is faster over the month, because the work comes back done rather than half-done with questions.