Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities With Delegation Poker

Article 3: Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities With Delegation Poker

Introduction

Clear roles and responsibilities are essential for building trust, empowering teams, and improving efficiency. Miscommunication about decision-making authority can lead to bottlenecks, frustration, and reduced productivity. Delegation Poker, a tool from Management 3.0, helps clarify these ambiguities by making delegation levels explicit and fostering open dialogue.

What Is Delegation Poker?

Delegation Poker is a collaborative game designed to clarify decision-making responsibilities within teams. It enables leaders and team members to discuss who has authority over specific decisions and to what degree. The process helps establish a Delegation Board, a visual representation of agreed-upon delegation levels for various tasks or responsibilities.

The tool is based on seven levels of delegation, which range from fully centralized decision-making by the leader to complete autonomy for the team:

1. Tell: The leader makes the decision and informs the team.

2. Sell: The leader makes the decision but explains their reasoning.

3. Consult: The leader consults the team before making the decision.

4. Agree: The decision is made jointly by the leader and the team.

5. Advise: The team decides, but the leader offers advice.

6. Inquire: The team decides, and the leader asks for updates or information.

7. Delegate: The team has full autonomy to make decisions without leader involvement.

Why Is Delegation Poker Useful?

1. Creates Clarity: It removes ambiguity about who is responsible for specific decisions.

2. Encourages Dialogue: It fosters open communication between leaders and team members about expectations.

3. Empowers Teams: By defining clear boundaries, it gives teams the confidence to make decisions within their scope.

4. Builds Trust: When delegation levels are explicit, both leaders and teams feel more secure in their roles.

How to Use Delegation Poker (Inspired by Planning Poker)

1. Set the Stage:

? Gather all relevant stakeholders, including leaders and team members involved in decision-making.

? Prepare a list of decisions that require clarification (e.g., hiring new team members, setting priorities, budget allocation).

2. Distribute Cards:

? Provide each participant with a set of seven delegation cards, one for each level of delegation. These can be physical cards or digital versions for remote teams.

? Each card represents one level of delegation (e.g., Tell, Sell, Consult, etc.).

3. Discuss Each Decision:

? Introduce one decision at a time (e.g., “Who decides which features go into the next release?”).

? Clarify the context of the decision to ensure everyone has the same understanding.

4. Play the Cards (Planning Poker Style):

? Participants privately select the card that represents their opinion about the appropriate level of delegation for the decision.

? Once everyone has chosen, cards are revealed simultaneously.

5. Facilitate Discussion:

? If there is a unanimous choice, that level is recorded for the decision.

? If there are differences, facilitate a discussion:

? Ask participants to explain why they chose their card.

? Highlight the reasoning behind higher or lower levels of delegation.

? Explore concerns about too much or too little delegation.

? Repeat the card selection process after the discussion if necessary, until consensus is reached.

6. Document the Decisions:

? Create a Delegation Board where each decision is listed alongside its agreed-upon level of delegation.

? Use this board as a reference for future decision-making.

Enhancements to the Process

1. Scenarios and Examples:

? Use specific examples or scenarios to help participants better understand the implications of each delegation level.

2. Iterative Review:

? As teams evolve, revisit the Delegation Board periodically to ensure the levels still align with current needs and dynamics.

3. Visual Tools:

? Use color-coded cards or charts to make the process more engaging.

Practical Tips for Using Delegation Poker

1. Start Small: Begin with a few key decisions to avoid overwhelming the team.

2. Facilitate, Don’t Dominate: The facilitator should guide the conversation without imposing their opinion.

3. Be Flexible: Understand that delegation levels may change over time as the team gains confidence or circumstances shift.

4. Encourage Honesty: Create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.

My Experience With Delegation Poker

I facilitated Delegation Poker between a director and engineering managers to address confusion about decision-making responsibilities. One key area of ambiguity was hiring new team members:

? The director assumed it was the engineering manager’s responsibility.

? The engineering managers felt the director was making the final decisions without involving them.

Through Delegation Poker:

? We reached consensus that the engineering managers would take responsibility for shortlisting candidates (level 6: Inquire), while the director would finalize the hire (level 3: Consult).

? This clarified expectations, improved efficiency, and empowered the engineering managers.

Why It Works

The structured nature of Delegation Poker makes it easier to have potentially difficult conversations about authority. It replaces assumptions with agreements, creating a shared understanding that benefits the entire team.

Real-World Scenarios Where Delegation Poker Helps

1. Conflict Resolution: Resolving disputes over unclear roles, as in the hiring example above.

2. Team Onboarding: Setting expectations for decision-making when onboarding new team members or leaders.

3. Leadership Development: Helping leaders identify areas where they can delegate more responsibility.

4. Scaling Teams: Clarifying responsibilities in larger teams with multiple layers of leadership.

Takeaway

Delegation Poker is more than a game—it’s a tool for building alignment, trust, and efficiency within teams. By creating a shared understanding of decision-making roles, it fosters empowerment and reduces friction.

How clear are the roles and responsibilities in your team? If you’ve ever faced ambiguity, Delegation Poker might just be the solution you need.

Have a look on the template from Miro:

https://miro.com/miroverse/delegation-poker/?social=copy-link