The Trust Ladder

Delegation requires a trust ladder, not a trust leap. Start with tasks where the cost of failure is small and the feedback loop is fast. As reliability proves out, move up to larger tasks, longer timelines, and higher stakes.

Most managers either delegate too little, micromanaging everything, or too much too fast, throwing someone into the deep end. The ladder calibrates trust to demonstrated competence, building confidence on both sides one step at a time.