Fierce Delegate
Why do decisions still come back to you?
Handing over a task doesn’t always make it clear who can decide what. Fierce Delegate® helps leaders agree on decision-making authority, so people know when they can act and when to check in. The program teaches Fierce Delegation through the Decision Tree, giving leaders a practical way to share responsibility and develop the people taking it on.
Where is delegation getting stuck?
Tell us what happens when work changes hands on your team. A Fierce advisor can help you explore how Delegate fits your leaders and the decisions they need to share.
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The workplace problem
Why can delegation leave you just as involved as before?
A task can be clear while the authority to carry it out remains uncertain. Someone may understand what needs to happen but still wonder: Can I make this decision? Should I check first? What do I need to report back?
Without that agreement, people may wait for permission or move ahead when a manager expected to be consulted. The work has changed hands, but the boundaries haven’t been discussed.
Fierce Delegate makes those boundaries part of the conversation. Grounded in the Fierce Conversations methodology, it helps leaders clarify what they are handing over, who will take it on and how much decision-making authority goes with it.
Part of the Fierce Conversations® methodology
created by Susan Scott.
What changes after Fierce Delegate
What will leaders learn to do differently?
After the program, managers should be better equipped to:
Choose what to delegate
Identify responsibilities others could take on and consider how that would support their development and your priorities.
Make decision authority clear
Explain which decisions someone can make independently and which need discussion before action.
Agree on when to check in
Establish what needs to be reported and when, so both people understand how they will stay informed.
Revisit responsibility as people grow
Discuss where someone is ready for more autonomy and where support is still needed.
Method overview
How does the Decision Tree work?
The Decision Tree gives you a shared way to describe how much authority goes with a responsibility. Its four levels make the expectations clear for the person doing the work and the person delegating it.
Leaf: decide and act
Make the decision and act on it. You do not need to report the action back.
Branch: act, then report
Make the decision and act on it. Report what you did at the agreed intervals.
Trunk: report before acting
Make the decision, then report it before taking action.
Root: retain the decision
The decision stays with the leader or requires input from several people. It has not been delegated for independent action.
These are levels of authority, not four steps to follow. A person may have different levels for different responsibilities. The conversation is about choosing an appropriate level and making sure both people understand it.
Who Fierce Delegate is for
One approach across levels and teams
Fierce Delegate is for leaders who assign work and want to be clearer about the responsibility and authority that go with it.
New & emerging managers
Make the shift from doing the work yourself to helping others take it on with clear expectations.
Experienced people leaders
Examine responsibilities you still hold and where decisions could move closer to the people doing the work.
Leadership teams
Build a shared language for delegation so people know what ownership means across managers and teams.
What can clearer delegation make possible?
At Coast Capital Savings, one commercial leader saved an estimated 60 hours per month using the Decision Tree from Fierce Delegation.
“They based my success on the degree to which our participants could apply and get results from what they were learning.”
Trina Hamilton
Head of Leadership Development, Coast Capital Savings
Title at the time of the case study
How Fierce delivers
How can your leaders learn Delegate?
Choose the format that fits how your people work and learn. A Fierce advisor can help you choose a format and plan how Delegate fits into your organization’s learning path.
In person
Facilitated learning that gives people space to practice, reflect and work through real organizational challenges together.
Virtual
Live, interactive sessions designed to build skills across distributed teams without sacrificing participation or application.
On demand
Flexible learning that supports individual development, reinforcement and broader access across the organization.
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