Hand off context, not just instructions

Handing off context means explaining the why behind a task, not just the steps, so the person doing it can make good calls when something unexpected comes up. Instructions alone only cover the situation you imagined when you wrote them.

Work handed off without context breaks the moment reality looks slightly different from the plan, and it bounces straight back to you for a decision. Work handed off with context tends to keep moving because the person understands enough to adjust on their own. I have noticed the tasks that bounce back to me are almost always the ones where I only listed the steps and skipped explaining why they mattered.

Try this today: the next time you delegate something, spend two extra minutes explaining why it matters and what a good outcome looks like, not only what steps to follow. Watch how much less it bounces back to you.