Insight: Delegation is one of 4 ways to "do" something. Completion, deletion, delegation, deferment.
Principle: When assigning a task, always state why: Commander's Intent. If the situation changes, the assignee will be best equipped to respond to align with the purpose.
Principle: Assign tasks to one owner with a clear deadline
Insight: 1. You must have someone to delegate to 2. Delegation is effective when someone can do the task 80 percent as well as you can.
Principle: "Delegate, but don't abdicate" (maintain responsibility)
Principle: "Trust, but verify"
Principle: Process: Explain why. Ensure understanding. Write it down. Ensure that people understand that they can make decisions autonomously.
Principle: Eliminate first, then delegate.
Insight:Golden Rule Delegated tasks must be (1) Time Consuming (2) Well defined.
Insight: 3 ways to get things done: do it, delegate it, defer it.
Insight: Delegation is not always down. You may need to delegate to your boss or others in your team.
Principle: Delegate if it takes longer than 2 minutes, and you are not the right person to do the task.
Principle: Track what you have delegated as "waiting on".
Insight: Scale yourself in 3 ways: delegation, amplification, improving yourself.
Insight: Letting tasks go is one of the most important yet challenging aspects of leadership for founders.
Insight: An alternative to delegating is to hire someone for amplification: to make what you do more impactful.
Principle: Delegate whenever possible. Use the 80% rule.
Reference: "No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and effective." - Peter Drucker
Insight: Organisational simplification often requires breaking larger units into smaller ones, decentralising and delegating power.
Insight: A barrier to simplification within organisations is when senior management does not want to give up power.
Insight: Effective delegation can make you powerful and reduce the burden of tasks.
Insight: Effective delegation can save you energy and effort.
Insight: Effective leaders delegate responsibility and authority.
Insight: Effective leaders rarely restrict teams, they release them.
Insight: Leaders should delegate planning downwards as much as possible to create ownership.
Insight: Delegation can give you power as you can "stand back and be the tactical genius".
Key Insights & Principles
Productivity
Delegation expands what is possible.
Delegation is one of the ways to get things done.
Delegation is effective when a task is time consuming and clearly defined.
Delegate whenever possible.
Delegate when someone can do a task 80% as well as you can.
Eliminate then delegate.
Delegate anything that takes time, where you are not the right person for the task.
Leadership
Delegation is not always 'down'.
Letting tasks go is one of the most important aspects of leadership.
Effective leaders delegate responsibility and authority.
When delegating as task, state why it is important.
Delegate planning downwards to create ownership.
"Delegate but don't abdicate".
"Trust, but verify".
Power
Effective delegation can make you powerful.
A barrier to effective delegation can be management not wanting give up (perceived) power.
