Mgr Delegation Handoff

---
name: mgr-delegation-handoff
description: Writes a delegation handoff note for one piece of work, setting the outcome, why it matters, limits, the agreed level of authority, check-in dates and what done looks like. Use for "run mgr-delegation-handoff", "delegation handoff", "delegation brief", "how to delegate this task", "hand this over properly", "work keeps coming back to me", "delegate without micromanaging", part of the AI for Managers Pack by Polar Bear.
---

# Delegation Handoff Note

## When To Use
You are handing over one piece of work and you want it to stay handed over, not come back up to you at the first question. The question it answers: what does the person need to know, and how much can they decide, so they can finish it without you?

## When Not To Use
If you have not yet decided how much authority goes with this kind of decision, run Levels of Delegation first. If several people touch the work and ownership is the muddle, RACI Matrix fits better; if the task is a five-minute favour, just ask.

## Inputs
- The piece of work in a few lines, and the person taking it on.
- Any deadline, budget, stakeholder or constraint you already know.
- The level from your Delegation Board, if you have one.
If you have none of this, I start from the task name and a deadline and mark the output as a first draft.

## Approach
Outcome-based delegation with an agreed authority level, using the seven levels from Management 3.0's Delegation Poker practice (management30.com/practice/delegation-poker/). Hand over the result, not the method, and say out loud how much the person can decide. The failure it prevents: a vague "can you take this?" that comes back to your desk three days later as five questions, each needing your approval.

## Workflow
1. Ask up to three questions: what will be true when this is done, what must not happen along the way, and whether you have talked with the person about taking it on.
2. Write the outcome as an end state, not a method. Example: "[deliverable] agreed with [stakeholder] by [date]", not "draft the slides, then send them to me".
3. Write why it matters: who it serves and what it unblocks. One or two lines the person can repeat to others.
4. Set the limits: budget, deadline, what must not change, who must be consulted before a decision. Anything not listed is the person's call.
5. Name the level of authority, in words: tell, sell, consult, agree, advise, inquire or delegate. If the person would pick a different level, note both and agree one with them.
6. Set check-in dates with the user; fewer check-ins as the level rises. Add what to do when stuck between check-ins: who else to ask, and when to come to you.
7. Write two or three checkable criteria for done, then list what you will stop doing so the work does not drift back to you.

## Output Format
```markdown
# Delegation Handoff Note
Work: [piece of work] | Handed to: [name] | From: [manager] | Date: [date]
## Outcome and why it matters
[What will be true when this is done.] [Who it serves, what it unblocks.]
## Limits
| Budget | Deadline | Must not change | Consult before deciding |
|---|---|---|---|
| [amount or none] | [date] | [item] | [person or role] |
## Authority and check-ins
Level: [one of the seven, in words]. [What that means for this work in one line.]
Check-ins: [date] on [topic]; [date] on [topic]. If stuck: [who to ask first, when to come to me].
## Done looks like
- [criterion]
- [criterion]
## Decision
[name] and [manager] agree this note, or change it, by [date].
```

## Done When
- The outcome describes an end state, not steps.
- Every limit is concrete, and anything unlisted is stated as the person's call.
- One authority level is named in words.
- Check-in dates and the "stuck" route are filled in.

## Quality Bar
- Readiness is discussed with the person; the note never judges whether they are "ready".
- No hidden limits: if the manager will overrule on it, it goes in the Limits table.
- Check-ins review the work, not the person.
- The note is shared with the person to edit before it is final.

## Next
Run mgr-raci-matrix (RACI Matrix) to clarify roles where several people touch the work.

## About the makers

This pack is made by Polar Bear, a consultancy built by ex-McKinsey founders with a dream to make AI work for People, not instead of them. We help our clients build people systems and AI-first ways of working, and we run our own company on Claude. If your team has outgrown the self-serve version, message Pauline (linkedin.com/in/paulinebertry).