Form
Delegation Board as a matrix with decision area, agreed level, maturity signs for the next level, date, and list of open topics with owner and cadence.
RunsheetFacilitation
Delegation Poker
ComplexityLow
Time45-90 min
Participants3-10
FormatWorkshop
MaturityEstablished
01
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Cards with seven delegation levels from Management 3.0 (Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, Delegate); list of 8-15 decision areas; Delegation Board or Miro frame with a matrix; timer.
People / roles
One facilitator who explains the levels; one lead and team (three to ten); one scribe for the final Delegation Board.
Pre-read
Decision areas collected in advance (for example Sprint Scope, Hiring, Tool Selection, Architecture, Pricing, Holiday Planning); explanation of the seven levels with examples; trigger (new lead, operating model change, recurring conflicts).
Time needed
45-90 min
Setup
Levels cards and examples visible. Matrix Decision area x level on the board. Rule: for each area, choose cards secretly, then reveal together, then discuss.
02
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which delegation degree per decision area matches maturity and context, and which differences between lead and team do we need to negotiate?
03
Flow
Marker: Phase
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Phase 1: Clarify levels and areas | 10-15 min | The facilitator explains the seven delegation levels with examples. Go through decision areas and verify understanding, clarify if needed. | Level understanding is the most common error source. Consult and Advise are often confused. Clarify with concrete examples. |
2Phase 2: Pick cards secretly | 15-20 min | Each person picks one level per decision area in secret. Solo phase, no discussion. In multi-person groups, reveal all at the same time. | Secret choices prevent anchoring to the lead position. If the first person reveals, others can be influenced, so reveal simultaneously. |
3Phase 3: Discuss differences | 15-25 min | Reveal cards per area. If all match, continue. If responses vary, discuss for 3-5 min: why this was estimated and what is needed for a higher delegation level. | Variation is often the real value. Someone selecting Tell versus Delegate signals maturity or trust gaps. |
4Phase 4: Reach agreement | 10-20 min | Agree on one level per area. Record what is required for the next higher level (maturity signals, data, trust basis). Document it on the Delegation Board. | Delegation is not static. For areas with different maturity per subtask, split the area. |
5Phase 5: Cadence and review | 5-10 min | Set review date (typically quarterly). Assign owner for the Delegation Board. Decide when the next poker runs (for example after six months or after a role change). | The Delegation Board becomes wallpaper if nobody refers to it in conflicts. Visibility (Slack topic, wiki) is mandatory. |
04
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Versioning / ownership
Own entry per session with date. Update with justification when maturity signs are reached. Three versions per year are usually enough.
Tool alternatives
- Management 3.0 Delegation Board template
- Miro with Delegation Poker frame
- Notion database with level and area
- Confluence page in team space
delegation-poker-working-template.md
Compact working template for Delegation Poker with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Delegation Poker Canvas
Context
What is this method used for?
Core question
Which question should be answered at the end?
Input
Which data, observations, or materials are available?
Working area
- Area 1:
- Area 2:
- Area 3:
- Relationships / patterns:
Output artifacts
- Delegation Board:
- Decision Boundaries:
- Role Agreements:
Open questions
- ...
Next step
Owner, date, success signal.
05
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
delegation-poker-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Delegation Poker — Activate Team and Anna as Lead (24.05.2026)
Delegation Board excerpt:
| Decision area | Agreed level | Maturity signs for higher level |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint Scope | 6 Inquire | Inquire remains; Team reports scope, lead asks follow-up questions |
| Tool Selection | 5 Advise | 7 Delegate possible once Q4 budget is approved |
| Hiring Final Decision | 3 Consult | Stays for now, team maturity around hiring is still developing |
| Architecture Decision | 4 Agree | 5 Advise after three documented ADRs without escalation |
| Pricing Change | 2 Sell | Stays, depends on sales function |
| Holiday Planning | 7 Delegate | Fully delegated |
Discussions:
- Tool Selection: Anna chose 4 Agree, team chose 6 Inquire. Clarification: budget constraint sits with Anna, team selection can be delegated once budget is confirmed.
- Hiring: spread from level 1 Tell to 5 Advise. Consensus: Consult because lead responsibility for team composition. Maturity sign for Advise: three structured interview loops documented.
Review: in six months (24.11.) or after a role change.
06
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Trap
Confusing the levels
Symptom
People choose similar levels but mean different things.
What to do
Ask for a concrete example for each level. Consult means lead decides after hearing inputs. Advise means team decides after hearing inputs from lead.
Trap
Sequential revealing
Symptom
Cards are revealed one by one, later participants adapt to earlier results.
What to do
Enforce simultaneous revealing. For digital tools use polling/voting plugin with hidden mode.
Trap
Discussion without agreement
Symptom
Discussion is happening but no agreed level is set.
What to do
Enforce Phase 4. Define agreement per area, or conflict remains latent.
Trap
Delegation Board is invisible
Symptom
Result is in Confluence but nobody refers to it in conflicts.
What to do
Post board in Slack channel topic or team wiki. In conflicts, the lead and team should be pointed back to it.
Trap
Area is too broad
Symptom
Architecture Decision as one area, but maturity differs across frontend, backend, and data.
What to do
Split areas if needed. Granularity is more important than completeness.
07
Stop criteria
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Team has no decision space; delegation is just symbolic.
Lead is not present, negotiation is not possible.
Workshop is under 30 min, five phases cannot be run.
Acute conflict between lead and team requires mediation before poker.
Decision areas were not prepared in advance, session turns into brainstorming.
No willingness to commit levels, workshop stays at conversational level.
Finished the runsheet?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.