Method guideFacilitation

Delegation Poker

A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.

ComplexityLow

Time45-90 min

Participants3-10

FormatWorkshop

MaturityEstablished

Plan Delegation Poker

Prerequisite

What needs to be finished first

Complete firstWorking basis

Collect 5–8 recurring decisions with risk, current holder, and affected roles. Mark hard legal or organisational boundaries.

Use a concrete case and observable outcome.

Complete firstResult

Explain all seven levels in one direction, from manager decision to full delegation. Choose privately, reveal together, and let the extremes explain first.

Choose privately and reveal simultaneously.

Preparation

What needs to be ready before start

Materials

Cards 1–7 for Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, and Delegate, concrete decision cases, delegation board, and timer.

People / roles

Manager or current decision holder · affected team members · facilitator · board owner

Pre-read

Collect 5–8 recurring decisions with risk, current holder, and affected roles. Mark hard legal or organisational boundaries.

Time needed

60–90 minutes for 5–8 decision areas; review the delegation board regularly afterwards.

Setup

Explain all seven levels in one direction, from manager decision to full delegation. Choose privately, reveal together, and let the extremes explain first.

Core question

The one question this method answers

Which delegation level fits this decision given current capability, risk, and boundaries?

Flow

Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall

Delegation Poker lets participants simultaneously choose a level from Tell to Delegate for a concrete decision. Discussion clarifies context, risk, and a workable level; the result is recorded on a Delegation Board.

Delegation board decision matrix

Fictional example

Fictional example for one concrete work case.

Delegation board decision matrix
Case	Decision area	Current state	Agreed level	Conditions and review
Example caseWhich delegation level fits this decision given current capability, risk, and boundaries?	Monitoring-tool selection	Manager decides after consultation	5 · Advise: team decides after advice	Budget up to €5,000, security check, review after two decisions

1. Decision area
Example case
Monitoring-tool selection
2. Current state
Example case
Manager decides after consultation
3. Agreed level
Example case
5 · Advise: team decides after advice
4. Conditions and review
Example case
Budget up to €5,000, security check, review after two decisions

The example is fictional and must be adapted to mandate and context.

Reference source · original teaching example

1
Decisions
Select areas
Goal
Bounded decision cases: List recurring decisions with context, risk, and affected roles.
Inputs for this step
- Collect 5–8 recurring decisions with risk, current holder, and affected roles. Mark hard legal or organisational boundaries.
Actions
- List recurring decisions with context, risk, and affected roles.
Output
Bounded decision cases
Bounded decision cases
Quality check
Does each case describe a recurring decision with a clear boundary?
Pitfall
Whole roles or projects are delegated without naming the actual decision. Return to “Select areas” and repeat this method step: List recurring decisions with context, risk, and affected roles.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
2
Levels
Explain delegation
Goal
Shared understanding of seven levels: Clarify Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, and Delegate with one example.
Inputs for this step
- Bounded decision cases
Actions
- Clarify Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, and Delegate with one example.
Output
Shared understanding of seven levels
Shared understanding of seven levels
Quality check
Can everyone explain who decides and who participates at each level?
Pitfall
Tell and Delegate are reversed, or Agree is treated as a unilateral veto. Return to “Explain delegation” and repeat this method step: Clarify Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, and Delegate with one example.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
3
Reveal
Choose simultaneously
Goal
Independent level choices: Leader and team choose face down and explain after revealing.
Inputs for this step
- Shared understanding of seven levels
Actions
- Leader and team choose face down and explain after revealing.
Output
Independent level choices
Independent level choices
Quality check
Were choices private and revealed simultaneously?
Pitfall
The current manager reveals the desired level before the vote. Return to “Choose simultaneously” and repeat this method step: Leader and team choose face down and explain after revealing.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
4
Reconcile
Clarify context and boundary
Goal
Agreed delegation boundaries: Discuss differences using capability, risk, information needs, and guardrails.
Inputs for this step
- Independent level choices
Actions
- Discuss differences using capability, risk, information needs, and guardrails.
Output
Agreed delegation boundaries
Agreed delegation boundaries
Quality check
Is the agreed level based on risk, capability, information, and guardrails rather than personal trust alone?
Pitfall
A high level becomes a maturity badge while risk and access to information are ignored. Return to “Clarify context and boundary” and repeat this method step: Discuss differences using capability, risk, information needs, and guardrails.
Timing: 10–20 minutes
5
Board
Review agreement
Goal
Current delegation board: Record level, conditions, information path, and review date on the Delegation Board.
Inputs for this step
- Agreed delegation boundaries
Actions
- Record level, conditions, information path, and review date on the Delegation Board.
Output
Current delegation board
Current delegation board
Quality check
Are level, conditions, information path, and review visible on the board?
Pitfall
The board shows only a number and omits conditions and review. Return to “Review agreement” and repeat this method step: Record level, conditions, information path, and review date on the Delegation Board.
Timing: 10–20 minutes

Artifact

What comes out at the end

Sketch: what the artifact looks like

Delegation Poker · 7 StufenEntscheidungsbereiche gegen sieben Delegationsstufen verhandeln und als Delegation Board dokumentieren

Form

Delegation board with decision area, agreed level, conditions, information path, guardrails, and review date.

Versioning / ownership

Version the current delegation board with date, owner, source state, and review date. Preserve earlier observations and append changes with their reason.

Tool alternatives

Delegation Poker cards 1–7 for every participant
Delegation board with decision areas and seven levels
Versioned repository for conditions, guardrails, and review

delegation-poker-working-template.md

Plan the question, inputs, complete run, and review with clear ownership.

Delegation Poker: Worksheet

Question

To be confirmed

Desired outcome

To be confirmed

Scope

Complete run Time: 60–90 minutes for 5–8 decision areas; review the delegation board regularly afterwards.

Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Materials: Cards 1–7 for Tell, Sell, Consult, Agree, Advise, Inquire, and Delegate, concrete decision cases, delegation board, and timer.
Roles: Manager or current decision holder · affected team members · facilitator · board owner
Advance information: Collect 5–8 recurring decisions with risk, current holder, and affected roles. Mark hard legal or organisational boundaries.
Overall time needed: 60–90 minutes for 5–8 decision areas; review the delegation board regularly afterwards.
Setup: Explain all seven levels in one direction, from manager decision to full delegation. Choose privately, reveal together, and let the extremes explain first.

Prepare for the work steps

Decisions: Select areas

Collect 5–8 recurring decisions with risk, current holder, and affected roles. Mark hard legal or organisational boundaries.

Levels: Explain delegation

Bounded decision cases

Reveal: Choose simultaneously

Shared understanding of seven levels

Reconcile: Clarify context and boundary

Independent level choices

Board: Review agreement

Agreed delegation boundaries

Delegation board decision matrix

Case	Decision area	Current state	Agreed level	Conditions and review
Example case

Example case: Which delegation level fits this decision given current capability, risk, and boundaries?

Use one specifically bounded case per row.

Reference source · original teaching example

Decisions: Select areas

Expected artifact: Bounded decision cases

Bounded decision cases

Entry:

...

Does each case describe a recurring decision with a clear boundary?

Levels: Explain delegation

Expected artifact: Shared understanding of seven levels

Shared understanding of seven levels

Entry:

...

Can everyone explain who decides and who participates at each level?

Reveal: Choose simultaneously

Expected artifact: Independent level choices

Independent level choices

Entry:

...

Were choices private and revealed simultaneously?

Reconcile: Clarify context and boundary

Expected artifact: Agreed delegation boundaries

Agreed delegation boundaries

Entry:

...

Is the agreed level based on risk, capability, information, and guardrails rather than personal trust alone?

Board: Review agreement

Expected artifact: Current delegation board

Current delegation board

Entry:

...

Are level, conditions, information path, and review visible on the board?

Open questions and next steps

...

Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/delegation-poker/run-sheet

Example output

Concrete filled scenario, fictional example

Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.

delegation-poker-beispiel.md

Concrete filled scenario, fictional example

Fictional teaching example: Delegation board decision matrix

Guiding question: Which delegation level fits this decision given current capability, risk, and boundaries?

Decision area	Current state	Agreed level	Conditions and review
Monitoring-tool selection	Manager decides after consultation	5 · Advise: team decides after advice	Budget up to €5,000, security check, review after two decisions

The example is fictional and must be adapted to mandate and context.

Pitfalls

Recognize symptoms and steer against them

Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow

Select areasWhole roles or projects are delegated without naming the actual decision.View in phase
Explain delegationTell and Delegate are reversed, or Agree is treated as a unilateral veto.View in phase
Choose simultaneouslyThe current manager reveals the desired level before the vote.View in phase
Clarify context and boundaryA high level becomes a maturity badge while risk and access to information are ignored.View in phase
Review agreementThe board shows only a number and omits conditions and review.View in phase

Stop criteria

When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach

Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Does each case describe a recurring decision with a clear boundary?

Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Can everyone explain who decides and who participates at each level?

Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Were choices private and revealed simultaneously?

Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Is the agreed level based on risk, capability, information, and guardrails rather than personal trust alone?

Pause or return to the previous step when this check is not satisfied: Are level, conditions, information path, and review visible on the board?

Where to go next?

Agile

Working Agreements

Anchors the agreed delegation levels as a binding team rule.

Paper illustration of an activity-role table with clear RACI assignments and one highlighted accountable role per activity.

Operations

RACI Matrix

Assigns concrete execution responsibility to the delegated decisions.

View in playbookEstablish Team AlignmentMove from unspoken expectations to clear roles, agreements, and decision pathways.

Finished the method guide?

Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.

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Delegation board decision matrix

1. Decision area

2. Current state

3. Agreed level

4. Conditions and review

Select areas

Explain delegation

Choose simultaneously

Clarify context and boundary

Review agreement

delegation-poker-working-template.md

Delegation Poker: Worksheet

Question

Desired outcome

Scope

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Prepare for the work steps

Decisions: Select areas

Levels: Explain delegation

Reveal: Choose simultaneously

Reconcile: Clarify context and boundary

Board: Review agreement

Delegation board decision matrix

Decisions: Select areas

Levels: Explain delegation

Reveal: Choose simultaneously

Reconcile: Clarify context and boundary

Board: Review agreement

Open questions and next steps

delegation-poker-beispiel.md

Fictional teaching example: Delegation board decision matrix

Select areas

Explain delegation

Choose simultaneously

Clarify context and boundary

Review agreement

Where to go next?

Finished the method guide?