Coach’s journal · Delegation & decisions
A place to begin
Agree which decisions a person can make and which conditions call for support. Consider impact, reversibility, authority and available time. Review what happens after an early warning so that asking for help does not automatically mean losing ownership.
“Be autonomous” can mean different things
You wanted independent judgment; the colleague understood they should solve everything before approaching you. By the time you hear, options have narrowed. Before asking why they waited, revisit what you agreed to share.
Has early reporting been treated as incompetence? Has asking for help always meant the work was taken away? Explore what sharing a concern means to this person.
Find boundaries that fit the work
Choose relevant conditions: significant customer impact, changes beyond agreed cost or timing limits, or a difficult-to-reverse decision. Safety and matters beyond someone’s authority need the appropriate decision-maker.
Make “tell me if it is serious” more concrete with one or two examples. Distinguish deciding and informing from requesting a shared decision, using limits authorized by the organization.
Your response shapes the next report
When someone raises uncertain risk, do you close the conversation because it is not confirmed? Separate current facts, possible impact and the point at which a decision is needed.
Receiving a warning need not mean reclaiming every task. Ask which support is needed and what the person can continue to own. Adjust intervention to the actual situation.
Try agreeing one condition this week
For one recurring task, complete two sentences together: “I can decide up to…” and “I will share immediately if…” Hear how the colleague would apply them to a recent situation.
HR can notice whether early warnings are welcomed in principle but punished in practice. Look at the experience after someone speaks, alongside their willingness to raise a concern.
Questions about this topic
What is an escalation criterion?
A condition requiring a leader’s or appropriate owner’s decision or support beyond the person’s independent scope. Agree it around impact, risk, authority and time.
Can risk be raised before it is confirmed?
Share possible impact while response options remain. Distinguish known facts from uncertainty so others can judge with you.
What if we receive too many reports?
Distinguish informing, review, decision requests and risk sharing. Examine unnecessary reapproval rather than treating all reports identically.