This toolkit brings together Laila Plamondon‘s complete delegation process — from the template that front-loads the handoff conversation to the scripts that help you check in without micromanaging. Laila has spent her career figuring out how to set people up to spike, and this is the system she’s refined over years of leading teams at Uncommon Schools.
From the Helia Library — based on the article Delegation That Actually Works, from our Coffee Chat with Laila Plamondon.
What’s Inside
Three resources, meant to be used together. Start with the template — it’s the backbone of everything else.
01 — Delegation Template
Laila’s actual framework for structuring handoffs — covering outcomes, decisions, biases, skill and will, and the magic confidence question. Use this before you hand anything off, especially when the stakes are high or the work is new.
02 — Delegation Self-Assessment
25 questions to pinpoint exactly where your delegation is breaking down — whether it’s behavioral (what you’re doing) or mindset (what you’re believing). Use this when tasks keep coming back and you’re not sure why, or before you try the template, if you’re not sure where to start.
03 — Delegation Conversation Scripts
Ready-to-use language for every conversation in the delegation process — from the initial handoff to checking in when you’re worried to handling it when the work comes back wrong. Return to this throughout, from the first handoff to the hardest follow-up.
When Resources and Templates Aren’t Enough
These tools will help you structure better handoffs and identify where your delegation is breaking down. What they can’t do is help you calibrate when to step in versus stay back, repair trust if you’ve taken things back too many times, or work through the deeper patterns — like holding on too tight because you don’t fully trust the person yet, or disappearing because you’re overwhelmed. If you’ve tried templates before and things still boomerang back, that’s usually where having a thought partner makes a real difference.
If You Want Help With Your Delegation
Laila Plamondon coaches managers on delegation, feedback, and team leadership through Rare Bird Coach — turning intuition into repeatable skill, step by step.
She’s a good fit if:
- You’re a new manager, and no one taught you how to actually delegate (not just assign tasks)
- You’ve been managing for years but things still boomerang back and you can’t figure out why
- You’re taking on a bigger team, and what worked with 3 people isn’t working with 10
- You want your whole team using the same language and approach
- You’re stuck in the “it’s faster if I just do it myself” trap
Connect with Laila!
Not sure Laila‘s the right fit? Talk to Helia directly!
About Laila
Laila Plamondon grew up in Bangladesh as the daughter of an American diplomat, studied psychology, briefly tried being a singer in New York, and eventually found her way to technology and education. She’s now Senior Director of IT at Uncommon Schools, leading a team of 20. But what lights her up most is coaching and managing people — that setter energy, figuring out who to set up next and how.
What I loved about our conversation: her insistence that delegation isn’t about getting work off your plate — it’s about setting people up to spike.
