They say
What to say when an employee says they lack authority for a delegated task: “I don’t have the authority to make those decisions.”
When an employee says they lack authority for a delegated task, identify the decisions required, clarify what they can decide, and provide a workable route for decisions you retain.
Your response
“You shouldn’t be accountable for decisions you’re not allowed to make. Let’s identify which decisions you need, which I retain, and where you need access or approval.”
First, check this
Have you given the employee the decision rights, access, and approval route they need to deliver what you assigned?
Why this works
Delegation fails when responsibility moves but authority does not. The response takes that structural problem seriously and makes the decision boundary explicit. Some decisions may properly stay with the manager, but the employee still needs a timely route to obtain them. This page is about formal authority and access; the related micromanagement page is about how much visibility the manager needs once the employee is able to act.
Don’t say
“Just use your judgment.”
If they push back again
“Every time I decide something, you overrule me anyway.”
You could say
If that’s happening, then authority on paper means nothing. Let’s list the decisions that are yours. If I want to change one, I’ll talk to you first instead of overruling you afterward.
After the conversation
- Write down which decisions the employee makes alone and which need approval and from whom, and share it within a few days.
- Arrange any system access or sign-off rights the employee needs, and tell them when it’s in place.
- Notice over the next month whether you reverse the employee’s decisions, and talk to them before you do.
Questions managers ask
How do I delegate authority without losing control?
Decide in advance what you need to know and when, and keep approval for the few decisions that need it. Set limits, such as a spending threshold, and leave everything below them with the employee. Ask for a short summary of decisions made, which keeps you informed without making every choice wait for you.
What if I can’t give them the authority because it isn’t mine to give?
Then tell the employee, and either get it from whoever holds it or reduce what you’re holding the employee accountable for. Find out who can approve the decisions and how quickly. If approval will take days, adjust the deadline, so they aren’t left answerable for a result nobody has given them the means to deliver.
Is it fair to hold someone accountable for a team they don’t manage?
Hold them accountable for what they can influence, such as coordinating the work, asking clearly and raising problems early. The other team’s output belongs to that team’s manager. Spell out which parts the employee owns and which they need to escalate, and if the result depends mostly on people outside their reach, consider handling the coordination yourself.