When delegating tasks, you should:

• A. Follow up with the employee
• B. Delegate the responsibility
• C. Challenge them with assignments beyond their task level
• D. Provide a hands-off approach until the task is complete

Answer: (B)

When you delegate, you transfer both responsibility and the authority to complete a task, giving the person the power to make the decisions needed within clear boundaries. The goal is to empower them to own the outcome, while you remain accountable for the result. Set clear expectations: what needs to be done, the deadline, the standards, and what decisions they can make without checking back with you. Provide the necessary resources and be available to remove obstacles, but avoid micromanaging.

Follow-up matters because it ensures progress and supports learning, but simply following up without granting real responsibility and decision-making authority misses the core idea of delegation. Assigning work beyond someone’s capability or adopting a hands-off approach until completion can undermine success and trust. The right approach is to hand over both responsibility and the corresponding authority, with clarity and support.