Delegation is an agreement about a result and the authority needed to reach it. “Handle the supplier issue” leaves too much unspecified. The person may not know whether they can approve a replacement order, what deadline matters or when to seek help. A clear brief makes independent action easier.
Acas performance guidance encourages objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. This guide uses that general idea to structure routine task delegation. It concerns day-to-day management, not formal employment procedures or decisions that require specialist authorisation.
Describe the outcome in observable terms
Start with what should exist when the work is complete. For a supplier issue, the outcome might be: “Confirm which items are missing, agree the supplier's correction plan and give the shop team a written arrival update.” This is more actionable than “sort it out,” and it makes completion easier to assess.
Explain why the task matters. The shop may need the missing items for a weekend display. That context helps the colleague prioritise questions and recognise which delay would matter. Avoid prescribing every step unless the work requires a controlled process; people may know a better way to reach the agreed result.
Set authority and boundaries
State what the person can decide alone and what needs approval. They might contact the supplier, request a delivery update and compare alternatives, but need approval before placing another order. Record the relevant budget boundary or operational limit through the team's usual process.
Clarify which existing procedures apply. A delegated task does not remove security, purchasing or customer-data controls. Give the colleague access to the information and systems they need through approved channels. If the required access is missing, arrange it before expecting an independent result.
Agree a useful checkpoint
Choose checkpoints based on uncertainty and the cost of getting the work wrong. A new colleague handling an unfamiliar supplier problem may benefit from an early review of the facts. An experienced colleague doing a familiar task may only need a final update. The purpose is to identify a consequential issue while there is time to act.
For example, agree an update after the supplier's first reply. That review can reveal whether the promised correction meets the weekend requirement. Asking for hourly updates without a reason consumes attention and may still miss the important decision. State what information the checkpoint should contain.
Ask for a brief restatement
Invite the colleague to summarise the intended result, immediate step and any open question. This is a check of the brief's clarity, not a memory test. If they interpret the task differently, correct the shared understanding before work begins. Also ask what existing work needs to move to make room.
In the supplier example, the colleague might flag that only the manager can view the original purchase order. That exposes a dependency. The manager can provide an appropriate record or assign the checking step elsewhere. Without that discussion, the delegated task could stall silently.
- Result: the specific output or resolved situation.
- Context: why the work matters and the real deadline.
- Authority: decisions the colleague can make independently.
- Boundaries: approvals, procedures and limits to observe.
- Resources: information, access, time and support.
- Checkpoint: when to review and what to bring.
Review delivery and the brief together
When the task ends, compare the outcome with the agreement. Discuss what helped, what was missing and what the colleague would change next time. If the result fell short, examine the brief, capacity and dependencies as well as the execution. A task can fail because an essential decision remained with someone unavailable.
Delegation grows more effective through repeated, proportionate agreements. As experience increases, the manager can reduce unnecessary checkpoints while keeping consequential boundaries clear. The aim is reliable work with understandable ownership and accessible support, rather than independence that depends on guessing the manager's expectations.
Sources and further reading
This original guide was prepared with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative. The edition date is an assigned date in this 2026 catalogue. See our editorial policy and report a correction.