Delegation Poker, from Jurgen Appelo's Management 3.0, replaces the vague "go handle this" with a seven-level scale running from Tell to Delegate. Every decision gets a numbered level, so both sides know exactly who owns the call. Level 1 means you decide and announce it; level 7 means you fully hand it over and stay out. The five levels in between split ownership in increasingly generous ways.
It works because most failed delegation isn't a people problem, it's an undefined-expectations problem. When you keep pulling work back because the result wasn't what you pictured, the real issue is that you never named the level. Putting a number on it removes the silent assumptions that cause rework and resentment on both sides.
In practice, you go decision by decision. For hiring, you might set level 5 (Advise): your ops lead runs the process and you weigh in only at the final stage. For product direction, level 2 (Sell): you decide, but you explain the why. Stating the number up front means nobody guesses, and you can raise the level over time as trust compounds.
Common mistake
Treating delegation as binary, either you own it or they do, instead of naming a specific level between Tell and Delegate. The result is silent mismatched expectations and constant rework, which people misread as the delegate's failure rather than an undefined handoff.
How to use it
Three ways to put it to work.
Everyday life
Your teenager keeps doing the grocery run wrong
You keep snatching the shopping list back because they buy the wrong brands, so name the level instead of stewing. Put grocery decisions at level 5 (Advise): they build the cart, but you flag the two items you care about (the coffee, the lactose-free milk) before checkout. Tell them explicitly this is a 5, so they own the run and you only weigh in once. Text them the two non-negotiables this Saturday and let the rest be theirs.
Tech
You keep rewriting your junior engineer's pull requests
You merge their work then quietly rewrite half of it, which is a hidden level-1 Tell dressed up as delegation. Split the decisions by level: API contract changes are level 3 (Consult, they propose, you decide), but internal refactors and naming are level 7 (Delegate, fully theirs). Write the two levels into the PR template so the boundary is explicit. Next review, comment only on the contract and approve the rest untouched.
Small business
You re-make every latte your new barista pours
You keep pulling drinks back behind the bar because the foam is off, which tells the barista nothing about where their authority ends. Set explicit levels: milk texture and pour are level 4 (Agree, you dial in the standard together this week), but recipe changes stay level 2 (Sell, you decide and explain why). Tell them today the pour is now a 4, so once you agree the standard it is theirs. Spend twenty minutes calibrating foam, then step off the machine.
Reckon · Thinking tool
Delegation Poker
Jurgen Appelo, Management 3.0 (2011)
What it is
A seven-level scale from 'Tell' to 'Delegate' that makes handoff explicit. Each decision gets a numbered level so both sides know who owns what.
When to use it
When you want to delegate but keep pulling work back because the result isn't what you expected. The problem isn't the person. It's that you never defined the delegation level.
Work through it.
Print this (use the Save as PDF button up top) and fill it in on paper. Assign an explicit delegation level to every task you want to hand off so both sides know exactly who owns what.
01
THE HANDOFF LIST: Write every recurring task or upcoming project you want to delegate or have delegated badly in the past.
02
THE SEVEN LEVELS: The scale runs: 1 Tell (you decide, they execute), 2 Sell (you decide, you explain), 3 Consult (you ask input, you decide), 4 Agree (you decide together), 5 Advise (they decide with your input), 6 Inquire (they decide, tell you after), 7 Delegate (fully theirs). Write the scale where you can see it.
03
THE ASSIGNMENT: For each item on your handoff list, write the level you actually want to operate at. Be specific, not aspirational.
Most pullback happens because you said level 6 but meant level 3. The number forces honesty.
04
THE CONVERSATION: For each item, write the one-sentence briefing you will give the person: the task, the level, and what decision or output you expect back.
05
THE REVIEW TRIGGER: Write the condition or date that will trigger a delegation level change for each item. Delegation should evolve as trust and competence build.
Reckon · reckon.report · flip for the working template
Reckon · Working template
Delegation Poker
Print double-sided. Read the how-to on the front; do the work here.