The SOP: How to Master Delegation

As told to Christine Schaffran

As leaders, it’s sometimes difficult to hand off tasks and responsibilities for fear that they might not get done the way you would do them. Matt Sauer, manager of Casey’s Automotive in Chantilly, Virginia, has some advice for those who resist delegating work.

“If someone is going to do the job 80% of what you would have done, then you need to delegate it to that person,” he explains, quoting a delegation book he recently read. “If it’s anything under 80%, then you need to take over and do it yourself.”

Sauer has spent nearly 10 years building his resume from the ground up, working through the ranks at Casey’s from shuttle driver to service advisor to assistant manager, and now manager. It was his first job after being discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps and one that has proven to be a perfect match for his skillset as a former helicopter mechanic.

Although Sauer insists delegation is not one of his superpowers, he proved otherwise while sitting down to talk shop with Ratchet+Wrench. Here is his take on why delegation is important, what should be offloaded, and how it makes the whole team stronger.

Create Good Processes

Delegation needs to start with a good framework. There must be clear processes in place, like a defined procedure for completing a courtesy inspection on a car. With a  step-by-step process, you can delegate that inspection to a technician to do that inspection. And if something goes wrong, you’ll see it and you can say, “Hey, something went wrong because you skipped this step in the process.”

But you can't just set a process in motion and then never look at it again—much like you can’t just offload a task and expect employees to execute it perfectly every time. You need to create a process, put it into play, and then continue to monitor and manage it to see where it might need to be adjusted. If there is a mistake—and they’re bound to happen—then it’s time to have a conversation with the technician or the service advisor to find out where the issue was, what step was missed, and how to correct it.  

Reward Those who Take the Initiative

There are certain employees who are working every day before I even walk in the door. When a technician demonstrates that they can do more than what they’re currently doing, shows a desire to learn, and the ability to be coached, it’s time to give them more responsibility. When they show that they’re able to move cars around, challenge them with additional tasks.

My service advisor, Matt Fultz, was recently promoted because I’ve delegated nearly every task to him I can think of, and he’s handled all of them. If I were to walk out of the store today, he could pick it up and continue running it without missing a beat. And he's earned the respect of everyone around him. So, they're willing to listen to him because he's put in the work and he's earned that respect. So, when he gives directives, it’s as if they’re coming from me, but they’re coming from him instead. Nobody questions him.

Check in Regularly

We have a 9 a.m. meeting and a 2 p.m. meeting, where Matt has taken over the meetings entirely. And if I'm in the store and available, I will be a part of them, but usually I step back and listen as they run through the day—which cars need to be done by a certain time, which cars are waiting on parts, which is a comeback that needs to be prioritized, etc. They walk through the whole day and what’s ahead of them.

And then we’ll meet again at 2 to see where we made progress and what needs to be done before the end of the day. What isn’t done yet?  Who do we need to communicate with? We check with each technician to determine where they’re at, what work will be completed on schedule and what won’t.  
Regular checkpoints throughout the day ensure our processes are working so employees can operate without micromanagement while still maintaining the communication needed to keep customers informed.

Lead by Example

Whether it’s mopping the floor, shuttling a customer, doing an oil change, or even if it's something lower level that you can delegate, there are going to be moments when there's no one else to do a task, and you have to get in there and get your hands dirty. It builds a high level of respect among your team. 
I lead by example and I do whatever needs to be done. Then they see that and they will do the same thing.

Rinse and Repeat

If you’re taking steps to not only follow a process but also to improve it, in the end, you’re going to win that customer and win that sale. And you’re going to fix that car properly. It’s easy to stay motivated and be happy and have happy employees when everyone is winning. But remember, processes are what get you the wins. If you don't have the proper processes in place to be successful, you will never be successful. And if you don't have the discipline to show up and do those processes, day in and day out with every car, every customer, no matter what—you're not going to find that win. But if you divide the work and commit to executing those processes together every day, you create consistency, accountability, and a team that wins together.