---
name: delegation-framework
description: Builds task delegation systems with responsibility matrices, handoff templates, accountability tracking, and escalation protocols. Use when a solopreneur is hiring their first VA, a team lead is struggling with delegation, or an agency is scaling operations and needs clear ownership of tasks.
allowed-tools: Read Write Bash(mkdir:*)
---

# Delegation Framework

## When to Use This Skill

- User is hiring their first VA or contractor and does not know what to delegate
- User says "I can't let go of tasks" or "I do everything myself" or "delegation"
- User has a team but work keeps bouncing back to them (reverse delegation)
- User wants a responsibility matrix, RACI chart, or task handoff system
- User is an agency owner scaling beyond themselves and needs operational clarity

## Core Principle

DELEGATION IS NOT TASK ASSIGNMENT — IT IS OWNERSHIP TRANSFER. The task is not delegated until the person knows WHAT to do, WHY it matters, HOW to do it, WHEN it is due, and WHAT "done" looks like.

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Audit Current Tasks

Ask the user to list everything they do in a typical week, then categorize:

**The 4-Zone Framework:**

| Zone | Description | Action |
|------|-------------|--------|
| **Zone of Genius** | Only you can do this; it is your highest value | KEEP — protect this time |
| **Zone of Competence** | You can do it, but so can someone else | DELEGATE — train and hand off |
| **Zone of Frustration** | You can do it but hate it and procrastinate | DELEGATE FIRST — this drains you |
| **Zone of Incompetence** | You are bad at it and should not be doing it | DELEGATE or ELIMINATE |

Walk through their task list and place each item in a zone.

### Phase 2: Build the Delegation Matrix

Create a responsibility matrix for all delegatable tasks:

```
DELEGATION MATRIX
=================

Task                    | Owner    | Frequency  | Time/Task | Priority | SOP Exists? | Delegate To
------------------------|----------|------------|-----------|----------|-------------|------------
Social media posting    | You      | Daily      | 30 min    | Medium   | No          | VA
Invoice creation        | You      | Weekly     | 45 min    | High     | No          | Bookkeeper
Email inbox triage      | You      | Daily      | 60 min    | High     | No          | VA
Client onboarding calls | You      | Per client | 45 min    | High     | Partial     | KEEP (for now)
Blog post formatting    | You      | Weekly     | 90 min    | Medium   | No          | VA
Graphic design          | You      | As needed  | 2 hrs     | Low      | No          | Designer
Podcast editing         | You      | Weekly     | 3 hrs     | Medium   | No          | Editor
Bookkeeping             | You      | Monthly    | 4 hrs     | High     | No          | Bookkeeper
Customer support emails | You      | Daily      | 45 min    | High     | No          | VA

WEEKLY TIME RECLAIMED IF FULLY DELEGATED: 14.5 hours
MONTHLY COST ESTIMATE (at $15-25/hr VA rate): $870-$1,450
```

### Phase 3: Create Handoff Templates

For each delegated task, create a handoff document:

**Task Handoff Template:**

```
TASK HANDOFF: [Task Name]
=========================

WHAT: [One sentence describing the task]
WHY: [Why this task matters to the business — context, not just instructions]
WHO: [Who is now responsible]
WHEN: [Frequency and deadline — e.g., "Every Monday by 12pm EST"]
HOW: [Step-by-step instructions OR link to SOP]
DONE LOOKS LIKE: [Specific, observable criteria for completion]
TOOLS NEEDED: [Software, logins, accounts — with access instructions]
ESCALATION: [When to come back to you vs. handle independently]
REVIEW PERIOD: [How long you'll review their work before full autonomy]

EXAMPLE OF GOOD OUTPUT: [Link or screenshot of what a completed task looks like]
EXAMPLE OF BAD OUTPUT: [Common mistakes to avoid]
```

### Phase 4: Set Up Accountability and Communication

**Daily/Weekly Check-in Structure:**

```
DELEGATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
================================

DAILY (async, via Slack/email):
- Delegate posts a 3-line update:
  1. What I completed today
  2. What I'm working on tomorrow
  3. Any blockers or questions

WEEKLY (15-min sync call or voice memo):
- Review completed tasks against the matrix
- Discuss any quality issues
- Adjust priorities for next week
- Celebrate wins (seriously — recognition matters)

ESCALATION RULES:
- Level 1 (handle yourself): Routine decisions within documented guidelines
- Level 2 (message me, don't wait): Client-facing issues, money-related errors
- Level 3 (stop and call me): Anything involving legal, security, or reputation risk

FEEDBACK CADENCE:
- Week 1-2: Review every deliverable, give detailed feedback
- Week 3-4: Review 50% of deliverables, spot-check the rest
- Month 2+: Review only flagged items, trust the process
```

### Phase 5: Define the Autonomy Ladder

Map each task to an autonomy level and promote over time:

```
AUTONOMY LADDER
================

Level 1: "Do exactly what I say" (Week 1)
         - Follow the SOP step by step
         - Ask before deviating
         - You review every output

Level 2: "Do it, then show me before sending" (Week 2-3)
         - They complete the task independently
         - You review before it goes live/out
         - Feedback on quality, not process

Level 3: "Do it and tell me what you did" (Week 4-6)
         - They complete and ship without approval
         - They send you a summary after
         - You spot-check occasionally

Level 4: "Do it, I trust you" (Month 2+)
         - Full ownership
         - They only escalate exceptions
         - You review monthly metrics, not individual tasks

PROMOTION CRITERIA:
- Zero critical errors for 2 consecutive weeks
- Proactively identifies and solves problems
- Asks clarifying questions (not the same question twice)
```

## Example 1: Solopreneur Hiring First VA

**Context:** Lisa runs a nutrition coaching business. Revenue: $8K/month. She works 55 hours/week and wants to get to 40.

```
LISA'S DELEGATION FRAMEWORK
=============================

ZONE AUDIT:
Zone of Genius (KEEP):
- Client coaching sessions (15 hrs/week)
- Program design and content creation (8 hrs/week)
- Sales calls with new leads (3 hrs/week)

Zone of Competence (DELEGATE):
- Social media content scheduling (5 hrs/week)
- Email newsletter formatting and sending (2 hrs/week)
- Client onboarding paperwork (2 hrs/week)

Zone of Frustration (DELEGATE FIRST):
- Inbox management and email replies (7 hrs/week)
- Invoicing and payment follow-ups (2 hrs/week)
- Scheduling and calendar management (3 hrs/week)

Zone of Incompetence (DELEGATE or ELIMINATE):
- Graphic design for social posts (4 hrs/week)
- Website updates (2 hrs/week)
- Bookkeeping (2 hrs/week)

TOTAL DELEGATABLE: 29 hrs/week
TARGET: Delegate 15 hrs/week in Month 1 (email, scheduling, social)
VA BUDGET: 15 hrs x $20/hr = $300/week = $1,200/month
ROI: 15 hours reclaimed = 5 more coaching clients = $2,500/month additional revenue

HANDOFF PRIORITY ORDER:
1. Email inbox triage (biggest daily drain) — Week 1
2. Calendar/scheduling management — Week 1
3. Social media scheduling — Week 2
4. Invoice creation and payment follow-ups — Week 3
5. Client onboarding paperwork — Week 4

TASK HANDOFF: Email Inbox Triage
================================
WHAT: Review all incoming emails and categorize/respond/flag
WHY: Lisa spends 90 min/day on email. 70% are routine and
     don't need her personal attention.
WHO: VA (Maria)
WHEN: Check inbox 3x daily (9am, 1pm, 5pm EST)
HOW:
  1. Open Gmail inbox
  2. For each new email, categorize:
     - RESPOND: Use template responses for scheduling, FAQs,
       and vendor inquiries (templates in Google Doc [link])
     - FLAG: Star and label "LISA-REVIEW" for client questions
       about their program, partnership requests, anything
       involving money or contracts
     - ARCHIVE: Newsletters, promotions, spam
  3. At end of each check, send Lisa a Slack message:
     "Inbox check done. [X] responded, [X] flagged for you, [X] archived"
DONE LOOKS LIKE: Inbox has zero unread emails. All flagged items
                 have the LISA-REVIEW label. Response templates
                 are used verbatim (no improvising).
ESCALATION: If unsure whether to respond or flag, always flag.
REVIEW PERIOD: 2 weeks — Lisa reviews all sent responses daily.
```

## Example 2: Agency Owner Scaling to 5 People

**Context:** James runs a web design agency. Team: himself, 1 designer, 1 developer. Adding a project manager and second designer.

```
JAMES'S RACI MATRIX
====================
(R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed)

Task                    | James | Designer 1 | Dev    | PM (new) | Designer 2 (new)
------------------------|-------|-----------|--------|----------|----------------
Client sales calls      | R,A   | C         | -      | I        | -
Project scoping         | A     | C         | C      | R        | -
Design mockups          | A     | R         | -      | I        | R
Development             | I     | -         | R,A    | C        | -
Client communication    | I     | -         | -      | R,A      | -
Quality review          | R,A   | C         | C      | I        | -
Invoicing               | A     | -         | -      | R        | -
Project timelines       | I     | -         | -      | R,A      | -
Hiring                  | R,A   | C         | -      | C        | -

JAMES'S ROLE SHIFT:
Before: Doing everything (sales + design + PM + billing)
After: Sales, quality review, hiring, strategy ONLY
Time reclaimed: 25 hrs/week
Reinvested into: Sales calls (5 more/week) and strategic partnerships

PM HANDOFF DOCUMENT:
====================
WHAT: Own all client communication and project timelines
      from kickoff to delivery
WHY: James is the bottleneck. Every client emails him directly.
     Projects stall when he's in sales calls.
WHEN: Full ownership starting Week 2 after shadowing Week 1
HOW:
  1. Shadow James on 3 active projects during Week 1
  2. Take over client communication on those 3 projects in Week 2
  3. Use the project template in Notion [link] for every new project
  4. Weekly status update to James every Friday by 4pm
  5. Escalate to James ONLY for: scope changes over $2K,
     client complaints, or missed deadlines
DONE LOOKS LIKE: James does not receive client emails.
                 Projects ship on time. Clients rate PM 8+/10.
AUTONOMY TIMELINE:
  Week 1: Shadow
  Week 2-3: Run projects, James reviews all client emails before send
  Week 4-6: Run projects, James reviews weekly summary only
  Month 2+: Full autonomy, James reviews monthly metrics
```

## Recovery and Fallback

- If the user cannot list their tasks, prompt: "Walk me through yesterday hour by hour. What did you actually do?" Build the list from there.
- If the user resists delegating ("nobody can do it like me"), start with ONE low-stakes task for 2 weeks as a test. Build trust through experience, not persuasion.
- If delegation fails (VA makes mistakes), check: Was the SOP clear? Was "done" defined? If yes, it is a fit issue. If no, it is a handoff issue — fix the documentation first.
- If the user cannot afford a VA, identify tasks to ELIMINATE entirely before tasks to delegate. Often 20% of tasks can be dropped with no impact.
- If reverse delegation keeps happening (delegate brings tasks back), enforce the escalation rules and ask: "What would you do if I were on vacation?"

## Constraints

- **NEVER recommend delegating Zone of Genius tasks** — those are the user's competitive advantage
- **ALWAYS include a handoff template for every delegated task** — verbal instructions do not count as delegation
- **ALWAYS include an autonomy ladder** — micromanagement kills delegation
- **ALWAYS calculate the ROI** — hours reclaimed x hourly value vs. delegation cost
- Every handoff must include "DONE LOOKS LIKE" criteria
- Escalation rules are mandatory — without them, everything escalates
- Start with 3-5 tasks maximum in Month 1 (do not delegate everything at once)
- Review period for every new delegate: minimum 2 weeks of oversight
