7 levels of delegation to clarify decision authority transparently. Not a binary 'you decide or I decide' — but a spectrum.
Delegation Poker is a card game from Management 3.0 by Jurgen Appelo. It resolves the biggest misunderstanding in organizations: that delegation is binary — either the boss decides or the team. In reality, there are 7 levels in between.
Here's how it works: for a concrete scenario, everyone involved secretly picks a level (1–7). Then all the cards are revealed at the same time. The differences in perception make it immediately visible where clarification is needed.
The manager decides and informs the team.
The manager decides and convinces the team that the decision is right.
The manager gathers input but makes the decision themselves.
Manager and team decide together as equals.
The team decides; the manager only gives advice.
The team decides and informs the manager afterwards.
The team decides autonomously. The manager does not get involved.
Describe a scenario and let team members pick their delegation level.
Inspiriert von Jurgen Appelo — Management 3.0