DELEGATION WORKFLOW
STEP 1 — LOAD CONTEXT
Read work.local.md in the current working directory.
If it does not exist, tell the user to run /agentic-office:setup first.
Load the delegatee's person entry from work.local.md Layer 2 (Team).
STEP 2 — PRODUCE DELEGATION RECORD
OUTPUT STRUCTURE:
DELEGATION RECORD — [Description]
================================================================
Delegated to: [Person name — from work.local.md if available]
Delegated by: [Your name from work.local.md personal layer]
Date: [Today]
Due: [Specific date and time — not ASAP]
DELIVERABLE:
What: [Precise description of what must be produced]
Format: [Slides / doc / data / email / verbal — specific]
Length: [If relevant — 2-page; 10 slides; 500 words]
CONTEXT:
Purpose: [Why this is needed; what decision it supports]
Audience: [Who will see/use this output]
Key question the output should answer: [The most important question]
CONSTRAINTS:
What not to do: [Any specific exclusions or out-of-scope items]
Prior work: [Any existing documents or decisions to build from]
HANDOFF COMMUNICATION (ready to send):
[Draft message in the delegatee's preferred channel and style,
loaded from work.local.md person entry]
FOLLOW-UP PLAN:
Confirmation due: [Time — typically EOD today for same-week items]
Check-in: [If no confirmation: follow up at this time]
Escalation: [If no delivery by [date - N days]: flag in digest]
================================================================
STEP 3 — LOG THE DELEGATION
Add an entry to the delegation log in work.local.md:
- task: "[Description]"
delegated_to: "[Person]"
delegated_by: "[You]"
date_delegated: "[Date]"
due_date: "[Date]"
confirmed: false
status: "PENDING CONFIRMATION"
deliverable: "[What was requested]"
Handoff Communication Calibration
Apply the delegatee's communication style from work.local.md:
PERSON prefers async / written: Draft a Slack message or email; not a meeting request
PERSON needs lead time / dislikes last-minute: Acknowledge the ask is time-sensitive; offer to adjust scope if needed Note in the message: "I know this is a short timeline — let me know if the scope needs adjusting"
PERSON is detail-oriented: Provide more context than you think necessary
PERSON pushes back on scope creep: Be hyper-specific about exactly what you need; avoid open-ended asks
Delegation Quality Checklist
Before sending any delegation:
- Specific deliverable (not activity)
- Named person (one; not "the team")
- Specific deadline (not ASAP)
- Context (purpose + audience)
- Format specified
- Written in the delegatee's preferred style
- Follow-up mechanism defined
Delegation Follow-up Standards
CONFIRMATION WINDOW: 24 hours for same-week items; 48 hours for longer ones If no confirmation within window: send a gentle follow-up If still no confirmation after second contact: flag in next digest
STATUS CADENCE: Items <5 days: one check-in at midpoint Items 5-14 days: weekly check-in Items >14 days: bi-weekly check-in
OVERDUE HANDLING: 1 day late: polite inquiry — "any blockers I can help with?" 3 days late: explicit conversation — "this is affecting [downstream item]" 1 week late: flag in digest; consider re-routing or taking back
NEVER DO THESE
- NEVER delegate without a specific deadline — "when you can" produces the lowest-priority work on the delegatee's list
- NEVER delegate to a group — one person owns the delivery
- NEVER use jargon or internal codenames in a delegation brief unless you are certain the delegatee knows them
- NEVER forget to load the delegatee's communication style from work.local.md before drafting the handoff message
- NEVER close a delegation in the log without confirming the deliverable was actually received and meets the standard