prompt

Delegation Failure Post-Mortem

Diagnose why a delegated task went wrong and build a system to prevent it next time.

Updated June 2026
The prompt
Post-mortem on delegated task failure:

Task: {{task_name}}
Delegated to: {{delegate}}
What went wrong: {{failure_description}}
When discovered: {{discovery_time}}
Impact: {{impact}}
Delegate's experience level: {{experience}}

Diagnose:
1. Was it an instruction problem? (unclear success criteria, missing context)
2. Capability problem? (delegate didn't have skills or tools)
3. Capacity problem? (delegate was overloaded)
4. Assumption problem? (you assumed they knew something they didn't)
5. Follow-up problem? (you didn't check in at the right cadence)

For each issue found, recommend:
- Specific change to your delegation process
- Template or checklist to prevent recurrence
- Feedback to give the delegate (growth opportunity, not blame)

Design a delegation protocol for this role going forward.
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Variables

Name or description of the delegated task
Who you delegated to (role/name)
What specifically went wrong (e.g., missed deadline, wrong output, no communication)
When was the problem discovered (during, at deadline, after)?
Business impact (e.g., missed deadline for customer, rework cost, team friction)
Delegate's experience level with this type of task (e.g., first time, somewhat experienced, expert)

Details

Author

AI Khazna

License

Security

Type

prompt

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