Four levels of authority
A simple planning scale for this session, not a validated model. Start a person at a lower level and agree when to move up.
| Level | What it means | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Do it as briefed | The leader decides what and how. The team member carries it out and reports back. | A task with legal, contract or safety risk, or a person new to the task. |
| 2. Recommend, then I decide | The team member investigates and proposes. The leader decides. | A person learning the task, or a decision that affects other teams. |
| 3. Decide and tell me | The team member decides and acts, then tells the leader by an agreed time. | A person who has done the task with support and knows the limits. |
| 4. Own it | The team member owns the result. The leader hears at the agreed check-ins only. | A person who has done the task well, with clear limits and a route for problems. |
The four delegation scenarios
All four scenarios are fictional. Scenario D tests whether the leader keeps authority low when the risk is high.
| Scenario | The task | What the leader knows | The team member’s hidden brief |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. The monthly client report | You write a monthly report for a client. From this month, a team member will write it. The October report is due to the client by Thursday 5 November at 17:00. | The client uses the report in a board meeting. Figures must come from the finance export only. | You already have two deadlines this week. You have never written a client report. Ask what happens if the finance export is late. |
| B. The team away day venue | The team needs a venue for an away day on Thursday 12 November for 14 people. You want a team member to choose and book it. | Budget: 1,500 in your currency, including lunch. The venue must be step-free and reachable by public transport. | You like organising events. You do not know whether you can sign the booking contract. Ask who signs. |
| C. The new starter’s first week | A new colleague starts on Monday 2 November. You want an experienced team member to plan and run their first week. | HR runs the induction on Monday morning. The new colleague must complete safety training by Friday. | You are happy to help but worry it will take a whole week of your time. Ask how much time to spend. |
| D. The supplier complaint | A supplier has sent an angry email about a late payment. You want a team member to draft the reply. | Finance confirms the payment was late by 12 days. The contract has a clause about late payment. Nothing may be promised about compensation. | You want to apologise fully and offer a discount. Ask whether you can send the reply yourself. |
Observation checklist
Observers tick what they heard and write the exact words.
| What the leader did | Heard | Partly | Not heard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Described the result, not only the steps | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Said why it matters | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Named the level of authority | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Named the limits | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Offered resources, and freed time from other work | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Agreed check-ins with dates | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Said what done looks like | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Asked for a teach-back, not “Any questions?” | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Heard the team member’s concern and answered it | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Left the task with the team member | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Filled example: briefing for scenario A
A fictional briefing that uses all seven parts and ends with a teach-back.
| Part of the briefing | What the leader said |
|---|---|
| The result | The October client report in the usual template, sent to the client contact by Thursday 5 November at 17:00. |
| Why it matters | The client uses the report in a board meeting on Friday morning. Late or wrong figures reach their board. |
| Level of authority | Level 2 this month: draft the report and recommend the three comments; I approve and send. Level 3 from December if this month goes well. |
| Limits | Figures from the finance export only. Keep the template. Nothing goes to the client before I approve it. |
| Resources and time | The last three reports in the shared folder. The finance analyst answers data questions. About four hours; I have moved your supplier review to next week. |
| Check-ins | Tuesday 3 November, 15:00, 15 minutes: first figures. Wednesday 4 November, 16:00: full draft. |
| Done when | The figures match the export, three comments explain the largest changes, I have approved it, and it is sent by Thursday 17:00. |
| Teach-back | The team member said back the result, the level and the first check-in. They asked what to do if the export is late. Agreed: tell me by Monday 16:00 and we agree a new send time with the client. |
Suggested level for each scenario
There is no single right answer. The debrief asks each trio to explain its choice.
| Scenario | Suggested start | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A. The monthly client report | Level 2 | The team member has not done it before and the client sees the result. |
| B. The team away day venue | Level 3 | Low risk, clear limits. Check who may sign the contract. |
| C. The new starter’s first week | Level 3 | An experienced colleague, with HR and safety parts fixed. |
| D. The supplier complaint | Level 1 or 2 | Contract and payment risk. The leader approves the reply. |
What you'll leave with
By the end of 75 minutes each participant has given and received one delegation briefing, has observed a third, has a completed observation checklist with exact phrases, and has a written plan to delegate one real task with a level of authority and dated check-ins.
Before the session
- For trainers and HR or learning teams who run leadership training activities for new or future managers, team leads and project leads, with 6–18 people in trios. It fits a new-manager programme or a module on managing workload.
- Print the leader cards and the team-member briefs on separate pages, so that the team member’s concern stays hidden. Online, send each team-member brief in a private chat message. Choose three of the four scenarios, or let each trio choose.
- Print a briefing sheet for each leader, an observation checklist for each observer and a delegation plan for everyone. Plan trios in advance, with one or two groups of four with a second observer if needed.
- Explain before the session that the scenarios are fictional and that the four levels are a planning scale for this exercise, not a test or a personality type. Offer the observer role to anyone who prefers not to role-play. Turn on captions and allow cameras off.
The run of show
Open: delegation that went wrong
Ask each person to write, silently for two minutes, one thing that went wrong when a task was handed to them, without names. Collect the answers for five minutes. Most answers fall into a few groups: unclear result, unclear authority, no time freed, no check-in or the task taken back. Keep the list on screen.
The four levels and the briefing sheet
Show the four levels of authority and when each fits. Then show the seven parts of the briefing sheet and link each part to the list from the opening. Explain the teach-back: the leader asks the team member to say back the result, the level and the first check-in in their own words.
Demonstration briefing
Brief a volunteer on scenario A for three minutes and skip the check-ins on purpose. Ask the group what was missing, using the observation checklist. Show the filled example briefing for the same scenario.
Round 1
Each trio takes a scenario. Three minutes: the leader fills the briefing sheet, the team member reads the hidden brief, and the observer reads the checklist. Five minutes: the briefing. Four minutes: the observer gives notes first, then the team member says what was clear and what was not, then the leader says what they would change.
Round 2
Rotate roles so that the observer becomes the leader. Use a new scenario and keep the same timing. Give a one-minute warning before the notes.
Round 3
Rotate again so that each person has had each role once. Use a third scenario. If time is short, cut the preparation to two minutes, not the notes.
Group debrief
Ask which part of the briefing was hardest to say and which was most often missing. Ask which level people chose for scenario D, the supplier complaint, and why. Collect exact phrases that worked for the teach-back and for freeing time.
Plan one real delegation
Each person fills in the delegation plan for one real task in the next month: the task, the person, the level, the first check-in and what they will stop doing. Ask each person to share the level and the first check-in date in one line, or to pass.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Leader | The result, why it matters and the level of authority |
| Leader | Limits, resources, check-ins and what done looks like |
| Team member | Your concern, and the question you ask if it is not covered |
| Observer | Heard, partly heard or not heard, with the exact words |
| After the session | One real task, the person, the level and the first check-in date |
Debrief questions
- Which part of the briefing was hardest to say, and which was most often missing?
- Which level did you choose for the supplier complaint, and what would change your choice?
- What did the teach-back show that “Any questions?” would have missed?
- What will you stop doing so that the person you delegate to has the time?
Adapt it for your group
- For 4 or 5 people, run pairs with the leader filling the checklist afterwards as a self-review, or observe one round as a whole group.
- For a 45-minute version, keep the opening, the levels, one round and the delegation plan.
- Online, use breakout rooms of three, send the team-member briefs by private chat and share the checklist as an editable document. Allow cameras off; the observer can follow by audio or captions.
- For people who prefer not to role-play, offer the observer role in every round, or ask them to write a briefing for one scenario and swap it with a partner for a written teach-back.
- For experienced managers, add a mid-task problem card: halfway through, the team member reports that a limit cannot be met. The leader practises answering without taking the task back.
After the session
Ask each participant to hold the real briefing within two weeks and to write, after the first check-in, what the team member said back in the teach-back and what they would brief differently. At the next session, review two or three examples without names. A month later, ask whether the level moved up, stayed or moved down, and why.
Questions people ask
What are good leadership training activities for new managers?
Practice with a real management task works better than a general discussion. Delegation is a good first task because new managers often keep work they should hand over. This session gives trios fictional scenarios, a briefing sheet and an observation checklist, and ends with a plan to delegate one real task.
What are the four levels of authority in this kit?
Do it as briefed; recommend, then I decide; decide and tell me; and own it. They are a simple planning scale for the exercise, written for this kit, not a validated model. The level tells the team member which decisions are theirs.
How do you run a delegation role-play?
Work in trios with a leader, a team member and an observer. The leader prepares with the briefing sheet for three minutes and briefs for five. The observer uses the checklist and gives notes first. Rotate roles for three rounds.
What is a teach-back, and why use it?
The leader asks the team member to say back the result, the level of authority and the first check-in in their own words. It shows gaps that “Any questions?” usually misses, because people often say no to that question.
Can I run it online?
Yes. Use breakout rooms of three, send the team-member briefs by private chat, and share the observation checklist as an editable document. Keep captions on and cameras optional.
What is included in the free and editable files?
The open PDF has the briefing sheet, the leader cards, the team-member briefs, the observation checklist, the delegation plan, a filled example briefing and the 75-minute facilitator plan. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file, an Excel workbook with a delegation tracker and a checklist count, and a CSV of the plan.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.