Operational Zones: A Simple Delegation Framework While OOO

Last quarter, my assistant made 147 operational decisions while I was OOO.

She also declined 23 meetings, negotiated 4 contract renewals, and even handled a thorny client issue that would have normally derailed my week.

“How do you trust her with so much?” my other founder friend asks me. “Aren't you worried she'll mess something up?”

Truth is, I'm not worried at all.

Because we use a dead-simple framework that makes it crystal clear what she can and can't do.

We use “operational zones” to make OOO productive and predictable:

Green Zone = Execute

Full autonomy zone.

Anything with clear processes, established criteria, or routine workflows — my assistant handles these without checking in.

They aggregate outcomes into a daily digest but otherwise run independently.

When I return, these tasks are done.

Yellow Zone = Guidance Needed

Information gathering zone.

New opportunities or requests that fit my pre-defined parameters get researched, organized, and queued.

My assistant collects all necessary details and preps decisions for my return.

Nothing slips through cracks, but nothing needs immediate attention.

Red Zone = No Go

Direct input required.

High-stakes situations or sensitive matters that genuinely need my eyes.

My assistant has a clear playbook: who to notify, what immediate steps to take, and how to reach me if truly urgent.

Everything else gets properly triaged until you're back.

The funny thing about building these zones? The less I worry about my assistant making the wrong call, the more right calls they make. Turns out clarity beats control every time.

- Michael H.