Highest-and-Best-Use Delegation
Move each role toward the work where it creates the most value
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Lynn applies an 80/20-style role design rule: determine each person's highest and best use, then move lower-value work to someone equipped to own it. He distinguishes $500-an-hour, $200-an-hour, and $20-an-hour work to expose where expensive attention is being wasted. At Future Home Loans, the President of Sales focuses on recruiting rather than walking new hires through systems; trainers and more entry-level staff absorb onboarding and system support. Operational leaders and a concierge team also handle questions and escalations before they reach Lynn. The output is not delegation for its own sake. It is a company in which each person spends more time on the contribution only they can make, while systems and supporting roles keep routine work moving.
Origin
Lynn explains how Future Home Loans divided recruiting, onboarding, system support, operations, and escalations as the company grew to roughly 70–75 decentralized loan officers.
Core principles
- 01Classify work by the value it creates
- 02Protect each leader's highest-value contribution
- 03Transfer lower-value repeatable work to an appropriate role
- 04Build people and systems that absorb escalations
- 05Revisit role allocation as the company grows
How to run it
- 1
Inventory recurring work
Map the tasks consuming each key person's time, including support and escalation work that may be easy to overlook.
- 2
Price the attention
Distinguish the highest-value work from lower-value activities using a simple value-per-hour lens.
Pro tip Use broad levels such as $500, $200, and $20 work rather than false precision.
Watch out Value is about the work's contribution, not the person's worth.
- 3
Choose the right owner
Match repeatable lower-value work to a person whose role and skills fit it.
Pro tip Entry-level support can be effective when the process and escalation path are clear.
- 4
Build the transfer system
Provide training, tools, and a support path so the new owner can complete the work without repeatedly returning it upward.
Watch out Moving a task without support only relocates the bottleneck.
- 5
Protect highest use
Check that the transfer actually creates more time for recruiting, strategy, business development, or the role's other highest-value output.
Pro tip Repeat the review as growth creates new work.
In the wild
Future's President of Sales is the primary recruiter, so the company does not use his time to walk new hires through systems. A trainer and other supporting staff take responsibility for onboarding and system work.
→ The sales leader preserves more time for his highest-value recruiting contribution.
A President of Sales, operations director, process manager, and other team structures handle major areas of stress and escalation before they reach Lynn.
→ Lynn can focus on leadership, health, and family rather than personally carrying every issue.
Common mistakes
Keeping low-value work
When senior people retain routine work, their scarce attention cannot reach the work that most affects revenue or growth.
Delegating without a system
A task will rebound to the leader if the new owner lacks training, tools, or an escalation path.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for a growing company with leaders spread across recruiting, onboarding, operations, support, and strategy.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when a task has not yet been understood well enough to transfer responsibly.
From the transcript
“what is the 80% that doesn't provide Revenue off your plate let's put it on somebody else”
“what's our highest and best use what's our $500 an hour work what's our $200 an hour work and who's doing that”
“it's getting people out of the $20 hour work and into their highest best use”
From the episode
Why Your Business is NOT Growing! ft. Robert Lynn
Robert Lynn