Every delegation needs three written components

For every delegated decision, specify three mandatory components in writing: the single accountable owner (one person not a committee), the constraints within which they have full authority, and the explicit conditions that trigger escalation back to you.

When This Fires

Every time you delegate a decision to someone (Delegate any decision reversible within one week at low…)
When delegated decisions keep bouncing back to you — check if authority constraints were explicit
When a delegate made a decision you disagree with — check if it was within their documented constraints
When building delegation frameworks for a team or organization

Common Failure Mode

Vague verbal delegation: "You take point on this." Who is accountable? What are the boundaries of "this"? When should they escalate? The delegate either constantly checks in (defeating the purpose of delegation) or makes assumptions about scope that don't match yours (producing conflict when their decision diverges from what you expected).

The Protocol

(1) For every delegation, write three things: Owner: one person (never a committee or "the team"). This person makes the call and is accountable for the outcome. Constraints: the boundaries within which the owner has full authority. "Budget up to $5,000." "Any design that passes the existing test suite." "Any vendor that meets our security requirements." Within these constraints, the owner decides without checking back. Escalation triggers: the specific conditions that require the decision to come back to you. "If the timeline slips by more than one week." "If cost exceeds $5,000." "If any stakeholder raises a formal objection." (2) Share this written delegation with the owner. (3) Trust the delegation: within the constraints, don't second-guess. Between the constraints and escalation triggers, the owner has full authority.