Delegation That Gets Results in Dermatology and Aesthetic Practices
Aug 08, 2025
Why Delegation Breaks Down in a Practice
Delegation often breaks down before a staff member begins the task.
A physician owner asks a medical assistant to follow up with a patient, tells the receptionist to adjust the schedule or mentions that the VISIA needs to be ready for the first consult. The request sounds clear in the moment.
Later, the task is incomplete, the result is different from what the physician expected or the question comes back to the physician owner.
When this happens repeatedly, it is easy to question the employee’s initiative or ability. Sometimes the assignment is the problem. The expected result, deadline and point at which the employee should report back were never made clear.
Effective delegation gives staff three things: a specific outcome, a deadline and clear direction about when to report back. The examples below show the difference.
What Clear Delegation Sounds Like
Instead of: “Can you follow up with her?”
Say: “Please call her by 3:00 p.m., confirm that she understands the post care instructions and document the conversation in her chart.”
Instead of: “Make sure the VISIA is ready.”
Say: “Turn on and calibrate the VISIA before the first consultation tomorrow. Let me know when it is ready.”
Instead of: “Let me know if you have questions.”
Say: “Review the instructions and bring me any questions by the end of the day so the work can move forward tomorrow.”
Instead of: “Just use your judgment.”
Say: “Use your judgment within our policies. If the situation is not covered, bring it to me before making a decision.”
Instead of: “Fix the front desk schedule.”
Say: “Revise the front desk schedule so we have coverage during peak check in and check out. Send it to me by Thursday at noon for review.”
Instead of: “Can someone post about the event?”
Say: “Ashley, draft one Instagram feed post and one Story slide for the event by Friday at noon. Send both to me for review before they are posted.”
When Delegation Still Comes Back to You
Clear instructions are only one part of delegation. Staff also needs the authority to act, access to the right information and confidence that you will support the agreed approach.
If you continue to approve every step, answer the same questions or redo the work, the responsibility has not actually moved away from you.
Delegation is one part of Transferring the Trust™. Staff cannot take ownership of daily operations while the standards, decisions and final approval still remain with the physician owner.
Does the Work Still Come Back to You?
If your staff is capable but routine decisions and follow up still land on your desk, a private Strategy Call will help identify where operations still depend on you and whether ongoing advisory is the right next step.
About the Author
Connie Kurczewski is the founder of Elevated Practice Consulting and Strategic Advisor to Dermatologists and Aesthetic Physicians. She advises physician owners on staffing, leadership, operations, marketing, sales and patient experience.
