There's a sentence that falls in almost every organization: 'I had to clear that with him first.' What's meant is usually: it was unclear who was actually allowed to decide. This uncertainty is the biggest friction in daily work — it costs time, energy, and trust. Delegation Poker is a method by Jurgen Appelo (Management 3.0) that systematically dissolves this uncertainty. In a 90-minute session, a team clarifies which decisions are made at which of seven delegation levels — and documents the result. The playful frame defuses a topic that otherwise leads to power struggles. This article shows how to run Delegation Poker in practice, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to anchor the results sustainably.
Delegation Poker
Delegation Poker uses a card set with seven levels: 1 Tell (boss decides), 2 Sell (boss decides, explains), 3 Consult (boss asks, decides), 4 Agree (jointly), 5 Advise (team decides with input from boss), 6 Inquire (team decides, informs), 7 Delegate (team decides alone). For a session, the facilitator brings 10 to 15 concrete decision areas — such as 'vacation planning', 'tool selection', 'hiring', or 'deadline shifts'. For each, leader and team members place face-down the card they think should apply. Then they reveal. Discussion starts where cards diverge — and that's exactly where the method's value lies.
View DetailsDEFINITION
The seven delegation levels by Appelo are a continuum from maximum control (level 1) to maximum autonomy (level 7). No level is inherently good or bad — the right level depends on context, risk tolerance, and team maturity. Delegation isn't a principle but a decision per area.
S3 Delegation Canvas
Those who want to sustain Delegation Poker results reach for the S3 Delegation Canvas. The canvas takes each poker result and extends it by four dimensions: purpose (why this delegation?), boundaries (what is not delegated?), accountability (who reports to whom?), review cycle (when do we check?). The difference is decisive: Delegation Poker produces an insight, the S3 Canvas produces an agreement. A team that does Delegation Poker but doesn't capture results loses the effect after a few weeks. A team with an S3 Canvas has a reference everyone can point to.
View DetailsPRO TIP
Prioritize the 10 to 15 decision areas before the session. Don't create them in plenary — that stretches the session to 3 hours and exhausts everyone. Collect areas from team and leadership in advance, filter to the 10 with highest friction, and bring them prepared. The session itself then takes 90 minutes, no more.
Team Canvas
The Team Canvas complements Delegation Poker with team context: mission, goals, roles, values, rules. Delegation without context stays mechanical — why should someone be allowed to decide if what the decision refers to is unclear? Those who fill out the Team Canvas before their first Delegation Poker have a completely different discussion quality. The question 'who decides about tool selection?' has a different answer if the mission is 'rapid innovation' than if it's 'compliance stability'. The Team Canvas gives delegation its frame.
View DetailsCAUTION
The most common Delegation Poker trap: the leader systematically places higher levels than the team and then feels frustrated that no one wants to take responsibility. Almost always the reason isn't team unwillingness but past experience: those punished for decisions in the past prefer to delegate them back. An honest conversation about what consequences decisions have in this organization is often more important than the poker itself.
| Level | Name | Who decides? | When useful? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tell | Boss alone | Crisis, compliance |
| 2 | Sell | Boss, explains | Strategic foundational decisions |
| 3 | Consult | Boss, asks team | Complex decisions with team expertise |
| 4 | Agree | Jointly | Decisions affecting everyone |
| 5 | Advise | Team, boss advises | Team decisions with leadership impact |
| 6 | Inquire | Team, boss informed | Mature teams, defined frame |
| 7 | Delegate | Team alone | Full trust, clear boundaries |
KEY TAKEAWAY
Delegation isn't an attitude but a decision per area. Those who grasp this no longer have a 'delegation problem' but a delegation map.
CONCLUSION
Delegation Poker is simple to run and deep in effect. A 90-minute session can resolve conflicts smoldering for months and create clarity ten team meetings haven't reached. The strength lies in the frame: through the seven cards, the abstract topic of delegation becomes concrete; through revealing, the status quo becomes visible; through discussion, it becomes negotiable. Those who capture results with the S3 Delegation Canvas and review them every six months have a living agreement that sustainably reduces friction. That's no revolution, but it's one of the most robust interventions modern leadership has available.