Steal this when you delegate a task and it keeps bouncing back to you—wrong output, too many questions, or silence until the deadline hits. Don’t dump it. Give it shape in one minute: name the outcome, set the decision boundaries, and agree on a checkpoint—so the person can move with confidence and actually own the work.
Paolo handed Mia a task at 4:45 PM.
“Please handle this,” he said, already half turned away. “Just update me later.”
Mia nodded, went back to her desk, stared at the email thread, and did what many people do when instructions are thin: she guessed. She picked a format. She chose a direction. She worked fast because it was late.
The next morning, Paolo looked at her output and frowned. “This is not what I meant.”
Mia did not argue. She just stopped trying so hard the next time.
That is how teams learn to wait.
Not because they lack skill, but because delegation often feels like dumping. The leader feels relief. The employee feels risk. And when risk is high, people either freeze or play safe.
A leader who wants ownership has to do one simple thing: make the task clear enough to move, but open enough for the person to own.
The difference between delegating and dumping
Dumping sounds like this: “Do this. I need it soon.”
It creates two problems at once. The person does not know what “good” looks like, and they do not know what decisions they are allowed to make. They will either ask many questions, or they will do the work in fear and wait for approval.
Delegating sounds different. It gives direction, boundaries, and support. It does not remove responsibility from the leader. It shares responsibility with the person doing the work.
This is where the three sentences help.
The 3 sentences
These are not magic lines. They are a simple structure that makes ownership possible. A leader can say them in one minute, in a chat message, or at the end of a meeting.
Sentence 1: The outcome.
“What we need is ____.”
This describes what “done” looks like in plain words. Not the activity. The result.
Sentence 2: The boundaries.
“You can decide ____; check with me on ____.”
This is where ownership is born. People move faster when they know what they can decide without fear.
Sentence 3: The checkpoint.
“Send me a first version by ____ so we can adjust early.”
This prevents last-minute surprises. It replaces “update me later” with a clear moment for feedback.
Together, the three sentences do something powerful: they turn a task into a shared plan.
A concrete example: a client proposal
A leader says, “Draft the proposal for the client.”
That sounds clear, but it is not. A proposal can be five pages or fifty. It can be formal or casual. It can sell value or list features. The employee will guess, then wait, then get corrected.
Now watch how the same task becomes ownership-friendly.
“What we need is a two-page proposal that makes the client say yes to a pilot project.”
“You can decide the structure and the wording; check with me before you commit to pricing or timelines.”
“Send me a first version by 3 PM tomorrow so we can adjust early.”
Mia now knows the result, the freedom she has, and when feedback will happen. She can work with confidence instead of fear.
Another example: fixing a process
A manager tells an operations analyst, “Fix the onboarding process.”
That is a heavy, vague task. People either overthink it or avoid it.
Try the three sentences.
“What we need is an onboarding checklist that a new hire can follow on day one without asking for help.”
“You can decide the steps and owners; check with me before removing any compliance items.”
“Send me a first version by Friday noon so we can test it with one new hire next week.”
Now the task has a shape. It has a boundary. It has a test.
Why the checkpoint matters more than people think
Many leaders skip the checkpoint because they do not want to “micromanage.” They say, “Just do it, and show me when you’re done.”
That is not freedom. That is abandonment.
A checkpoint is not control. It is care. It prevents wasted work, and it gives the person a safe moment to ask smart questions.
Without a checkpoint, people hide drafts. They wait until the last minute. Then the leader reacts late, and the cycle repeats.
The most common mistake: delegating only the work, not the decision
Ownership does not come from tasks alone. It comes from decisions.
If a person cannot decide anything, they are not owning. They are only executing. They will wait for approval at every turn, because the risk is still sitting on their shoulders.
That is why the boundary sentence is the heart of the method. It tells people, “You have space to think.”
A short template people can copy
Here is the three-sentence template in one block. It is easy to save and reuse.
What we need is ____ (clear outcome).
You can decide ____; check with me on ____ (decision rights).
Send me a first version by ____ (checkpoint).
This is simple enough for a team chat. It is also strong enough to improve work quality.
A small push for the next 24 hours
Think of one task that keeps bouncing back to you.
The next time it comes up, do not explain for ten minutes. Do not send a long message. Use the three sentences.
Then watch what happens.
When people know the outcome, the boundaries, and the checkpoint, they stop waiting for permission and start building work they can stand behind.
