# Delegation Framework > Builds task delegation systems with responsibility matrices, handoff templates, accountability tracking, and escalation protocols. Use when a solopreneur is hiring their first VA, a team lead is struggling with delegation, or an agency is scaling operations and needs clear ownership of tasks. - Skill: `reaperinvest/delegation-framework` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/delegation-framework` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/delegation-framework/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/delegation-framework --- # Delegation Framework ## When to Use This Skill - User is hiring their first VA or contractor and does not know what to delegate - User says "I can't let go of tasks" or "I do everything myself" or "delegation" - User has a team but work keeps bouncing back to them (reverse delegation) - User wants a responsibility matrix, RACI chart, or task handoff system - User is an agency owner scaling beyond themselves and needs operational clarity ## Core Principle DELEGATION IS NOT TASK ASSIGNMENT — IT IS OWNERSHIP TRANSFER. The task is not delegated until the person knows WHAT to do, WHY it matters, HOW to do it, WHEN it is due, and WHAT "done" looks like. ## Workflow ### Phase 1: Audit Current Tasks Ask the user to list everything they do in a typical week, then categorize: **The 4-Zone Framework:** | Zone | Description | Action | |------|-------------|--------| | **Zone of Genius** | Only you can do this; it is your highest value | KEEP — protect this time | | **Zone of Competence** | You can do it, but so can someone else | DELEGATE — train and hand off | | **Zone of Frustration** | You can do it but hate it and procrastinate | DELEGATE FIRST — this drains you | | **Zone of Incompetence** | You are bad at it and should not be doing it | DELEGATE or ELIMINATE | Walk through their task list and place each item in a zone. ### Phase 2: Build the Delegation Matrix Create a responsibility matrix for all delegatable tasks: ``` DELEGATION MATRIX ================= Task | Owner | Frequency | Time/Task | Priority | SOP Exists? | Delegate To ------------------------|----------|------------|-----------|----------|-------------|------------ Social media posting | You | Daily | 30 min | Medium | No | VA Invoice creation | You | Weekly | 45 min | High | No | Bookkeeper Email inbox triage | You | Daily | 60 min | High | No | VA Client onboarding calls | You | Per client | 45 min | High | Partial | KEEP (for now) Blog post formatting | You | Weekly | 90 min | Medium | No | VA Graphic design | You | As needed | 2 hrs | Low | No | Designer Podcast editing | You | Weekly | 3 hrs | Medium | No | Editor Bookkeeping | You | Monthly | 4 hrs | High | No | Bookkeeper Customer support emails | You | Daily | 45 min | High | No | VA WEEKLY TIME RECLAIMED IF FULLY DELEGATED: 14.5 hours MONTHLY COST ESTIMATE (at $15-25/hr VA rate): $870-$1,450 ``` ### Phase 3: Create Handoff Templates For each delegated task, create a handoff document: **Task Handoff Template:** ``` TASK HANDOFF: [Task Name] ========================= WHAT: [One sentence describing the task] WHY: [Why this task matters to the business — context, not just instructions] WHO: [Who is now responsible] WHEN: [Frequency and deadline — e.g., "Every Monday by 12pm EST"] HOW: [Step-by-step instructions OR link to SOP] DONE LOOKS LIKE: [Specific, observable criteria for completion] TOOLS NEEDED: [Software, logins, accounts — with access instructions] ESCALATION: [When to come back to you vs. handle independently] REVIEW PERIOD: [How long you'll review their work before full autonomy] EXAMPLE OF GOOD OUTPUT: [Link or screenshot of what a completed task looks like] EXAMPLE OF BAD OUTPUT: [Common mistakes to avoid] ``` ### Phase 4: Set Up Accountability and Communication **Daily/Weekly Check-in Structure:** ``` DELEGATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ================================ DAILY (async, via Slack/email): - Delegate posts a 3-line update: 1. What I completed today 2. What I'm working on tomorrow 3. Any blockers or questions WEEKLY (15-min sync call or voice memo): - Review completed tasks against the matrix - Discuss any quality issues - Adjust priorities for next week - Celebrate wins (seriously — recognition matters) ESCALATION RULES: - Level 1 (handle yourself): Routine decisions within documented guidelines - Level 2 (message me, don't wait): Client-facing issues, money-related errors - Level 3 (stop and call me): Anything involving legal, security, or reputation risk FEEDBACK CADENCE: - Week 1-2: Review every deliverable, give detailed feedback - Week 3-4: Review 50% of deliverables, spot-check the rest - Month 2+: Review only flagged items, trust the process ``` ### Phase 5: Define the Autonomy Ladder Map each task to an autonomy level and promote over time: ``` AUTONOMY LADDER ================ Level 1: "Do exactly what I say" (Week 1) - Follow the SOP step by step - Ask before deviating - You review every output Level 2: "Do it, then show me before sending" (Week 2-3) - They complete the task independently - You review before it goes live/out - Feedback on quality, not process Level 3: "Do it and tell me what you did" (Week 4-6) - They complete and ship without approval - They send you a summary after - You spot-check occasionally Level 4: "Do it, I trust you" (Month 2+) - Full ownership - They only escalate exceptions - You review monthly metrics, not individual tasks PROMOTION CRITERIA: - Zero critical errors for 2 consecutive weeks - Proactively identifies and solves problems - Asks clarifying questions (not the same question twice) ``` ## Example 1: Solopreneur Hiring First VA **Context:** Lisa runs a nutrition coaching business. Revenue: $8K/month. She works 55 hours/week and wants to get to 40. ``` LISA'S DELEGATION FRAMEWORK ============================= ZONE AUDIT: Zone of Genius (KEEP): - Client coaching sessions (15 hrs/week) - Program design and content creation (8 hrs/week) - Sales calls with new leads (3 hrs/week) Zone of Competence (DELEGATE): - Social media content scheduling (5 hrs/week) - Email newsletter formatting and sending (2 hrs/week) - Client onboarding paperwork (2 hrs/week) Zone of Frustration (DELEGATE FIRST): - Inbox management and email replies (7 hrs/week) - Invoicing and payment follow-ups (2 hrs/week) - Scheduling and calendar management (3 hrs/week) Zone of Incompetence (DELEGATE or ELIMINATE): - Graphic design for social posts (4 hrs/week) - Website updates (2 hrs/week) - Bookkeeping (2 hrs/week) TOTAL DELEGATABLE: 29 hrs/week TARGET: Delegate 15 hrs/week in Month 1 (email, scheduling, social) VA BUDGET: 15 hrs x $20/hr = $300/week = $1,200/month ROI: 15 hours reclaimed = 5 more coaching clients = $2,500/month additional revenue HANDOFF PRIORITY ORDER: 1. Email inbox triage (biggest daily drain) — Week 1 2. Calendar/scheduling management — Week 1 3. Social media scheduling — Week 2 4. Invoice creation and payment follow-ups — Week 3 5. Client onboarding paperwork — Week 4 TASK HANDOFF: Email Inbox Triage ================================ WHAT: Review all incoming emails and categorize/respond/flag WHY: Lisa spends 90 min/day on email. 70% are routine and don't need her personal attention. WHO: VA (Maria) WHEN: Check inbox 3x daily (9am, 1pm, 5pm EST) HOW: 1. Open Gmail inbox 2. For each new email, categorize: - RESPOND: Use template responses for scheduling, FAQs, and vendor inquiries (templates in Google Doc [link]) - FLAG: Star and label "LISA-REVIEW" for client questions about their program, partnership requests, anything involving money or contracts - ARCHIVE: Newsletters, promotions, spam 3. At end of each check, send Lisa a Slack message: "Inbox check done. [X] responded, [X] flagged for you, [X] archived" DONE LOOKS LIKE: Inbox has zero unread emails. All flagged items have the LISA-REVIEW label. Response templates are used verbatim (no improvising). ESCALATION: If unsure whether to respond or flag, always flag. REVIEW PERIOD: 2 weeks — Lisa reviews all sent responses daily. ``` ## Example 2: Agency Owner Scaling to 5 People **Context:** James runs a web design agency. Team: himself, 1 designer, 1 developer. Adding a project manager and second designer. ``` JAMES'S RACI MATRIX ==================== (R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed) Task | James | Designer 1 | Dev | PM (new) | Designer 2 (new) ------------------------|-------|-----------|--------|----------|---------------- Client sales calls | R,A | C | - | I | - Project scoping | A | C | C | R | - Design mockups | A | R | - | I | R Development | I | - | R,A | C | - Client communication | I | - | - | R,A | - Quality review | R,A | C | C | I | - Invoicing | A | - | - | R | - Project timelines | I | - | - | R,A | - Hiring | R,A | C | - | C | - JAMES'S ROLE SHIFT: Before: Doing everything (sales + design + PM + billing) After: Sales, quality review, hiring, strategy ONLY Time reclaimed: 25 hrs/week Reinvested into: Sales calls (5 more/week) and strategic partnerships PM HANDOFF DOCUMENT: ==================== WHAT: Own all client communication and project timelines from kickoff to delivery WHY: James is the bottleneck. Every client emails him directly. Projects stall when he's in sales calls. WHEN: Full ownership starting Week 2 after shadowing Week 1 HOW: 1. Shadow James on 3 active projects during Week 1 2. Take over client communication on those 3 projects in Week 2 3. Use the project template in Notion [link] for every new project 4. Weekly status update to James every Friday by 4pm 5. Escalate to James ONLY for: scope changes over $2K, client complaints, or missed deadlines DONE LOOKS LIKE: James does not receive client emails. Projects ship on time. Clients rate PM 8+/10. AUTONOMY TIMELINE: Week 1: Shadow Week 2-3: Run projects, James reviews all client emails before send Week 4-6: Run projects, James reviews weekly summary only Month 2+: Full autonomy, James reviews monthly metrics ``` ## Recovery and Fallback - If the user cannot list their tasks, prompt: "Walk me through yesterday hour by hour. What did you actually do?" Build the list from there. - If the user resists delegating ("nobody can do it like me"), start with ONE low-stakes task for 2 weeks as a test. Build trust through experience, not persuasion. - If delegation fails (VA makes mistakes), check: Was the SOP clear? Was "done" defined? If yes, it is a fit issue. If no, it is a handoff issue — fix the documentation first. - If the user cannot afford a VA, identify tasks to ELIMINATE entirely before tasks to delegate. Often 20% of tasks can be dropped with no impact. - If reverse delegation keeps happening (delegate brings tasks back), enforce the escalation rules and ask: "What would you do if I were on vacation?" ## Constraints - **NEVER recommend delegating Zone of Genius tasks** — those are the user's competitive advantage - **ALWAYS include a handoff template for every delegated task** — verbal instructions do not count as delegation - **ALWAYS include an autonomy ladder** — micromanagement kills delegation - **ALWAYS calculate the ROI** — hours reclaimed x hourly value vs. delegation cost - Every handoff must include "DONE LOOKS LIKE" criteria - Escalation rules are mandatory — without them, everything escalates - Start with 3-5 tasks maximum in Month 1 (do not delegate everything at once) - Review period for every new delegate: minimum 2 weeks of oversight