Working with others
Share the why, not just the task
A micro exercise for handing off work so people can make good calls without checking with you
When you hand off a piece of work, say what it's for, what good looks like, and what matters most if something has to give.
- 5 minutes
- You and one person
- Every handoff
- Quick
Why this can work
People make better decisions when they know what the work is for. With the goal and a picture of what good looks like, the person doing the work can adapt when the plan meets reality, instead of stopping to ask you.
Read moreHow to delegate work so people can decide without you
You’ll come away with a handoff that says what the work is for, not only what to do.
- Answer three questions before you hand it off.
What is this for? What would make you say it went well? If something has to give, time, quality or scope, what should they protect? If you can't answer the first one, find out before passing the work on.
- Write the handoff.
A few sentences is enough. For example: the board deck is for Thursday's funding decision, so a clear recommendation matters more than polish; if time runs short, drop the appendix. Say which calls are theirs to make, and which you'd like to hear about first.
To: the person taking on the workHere's the piece of work. It's for who it's for, so they can what it should make possible.
Good looks like what would make it a success. If something has to give, protect what matters most over what can slip.
You can decide the calls that are theirs without checking with me. Let me know before anything you want to hear about first. Otherwise, how you get there is up to you.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Ask them to play it back.
Hearing it in their words shows you whether the why made it across.
You“Before you start, how would you describe what this is for, in your own words?”Tip: If their version differs from yours, better to find out now than at the deadline.
- Stay out of the how.
Once they have the why, let them choose the approach. Check in at a point you agreed, not whenever you get curious.
Good times to repeat it: whenever you hand off workat the start of any projectwhen someone keeps checking in on small calls
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
You've had the context for weeks; they're hearing it for the first time. The part that seems too obvious to say is usually the part that's missing.
What might make this harder
Ask your own manager the same three questions before passing the work on, or share what you know and say what you don't.
Questions people ask
How do I delegate a task effectively?
Say what the work is for, what good looks like, and what matters most if something has to give. Then let the person choose how to do it, and agree when you'll check in.
What is commander's intent?
A military practice: along with orders, leaders state the purpose of an operation and the result they want, so people can use their judgment when circumstances change. It translates well to handing off work.
Why does my team keep asking me about small decisions?
Often because they don't know enough about the goal to decide on their own. Sharing the purpose and priorities up front tends to cut these questions down.
Why this works, and where it comes from
A typical handoff is a set of instructions: build this, send that, by Friday. Instructions work until something changes, and something nearly always changes. The client moves the meeting, the data is messier than expected, the first approach doesn't work. At that point the person doing the work can guess or ask you. If they guess without knowing what the work is for, they may do exactly what you said and miss what you meant. If they ask, you become the bottleneck.
Armies ran into this long before offices did. Commander's intent, part of the U.S. Army's mission command doctrine, is the practice of stating the purpose of an operation and the end state you want alongside the orders, so people can act sensibly when the plan stops fitting. The stakes at work are lower and the problem is the same: you can't foresee every change, so you give people what they need to handle the ones you didn't.
A why is also a sign of trust. It tells someone you expect them to think, not only to execute, and most people rise to that. It also lets them tell you when the task won't serve the goal, which is exactly what you'd want to know. A handoff with a why in it leaves room for the other person to find a better way than the one you had in mind.
Sometimes a plain instruction is the right call: a routine task someone has done many times, or an emergency with no time to discuss. And when someone is new to the work entirely, the why won't replace showing them how. For most delegated work, though, a few sentences of purpose are what turn a request into something a person can own.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with others
A few minutes that compound
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Written by Truest, based on ADP 6-0, Mission Command: Command and Control of Army Forces (U.S. Department of the Army). Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.