A delegation includes the task but not the authority

A fictional supervisor assigns an employee responsibility for completing a customer-service improvement by Friday. The employee cannot access the required records, approve a routine resource request or obtain answers from another team, and the supervisor has not named an escalation contact. A colleague proposes treating the delay as proof that the employee lacks motivation. Another examines the assigned outcome, actual authority, resources and cross-team dependencies before judging performance. This written exercise changes no job or personnel record. It asks how delegation can fail despite a clear deadline and why fair feedback requires evidence about conditions within and beyond the employee’s control rather than relying on a personal label.