Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, Focus

Name: Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, Focus in 60 seconds
Uploaded: 2026-10-21T07:30:00+02:00
Duration: 60 s
Description: A four-step filter for a manager's list: eliminate, automate, delegate, then focus on the value-added work. AI prepares; you decide.

Written by Sacha Remacle on 21/10/2026

Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, Focus is a four-step filter for a manager’s list. First drop work that brings no value. Then automate what a tool can do. Then hand off what someone else should own. Only then focus on the remaining value-added work — either now, or planned in your agenda. AI prepares options at each step; you decide.

Watch: the 4 steps in 60 seconds

AI prepares. You decide.

AI Manager Tool

Why managers need a filter before a tool

Most manager days fill with work that feels urgent and is not valuable: status chasing, reports nobody reads, meetings without a decision. Buying another AI task manager does not fix that. A filter does. Run every item on your list through four questions, in order. Only what survives reaches your calendar.

1. Eliminate

Stop work that is not important and does not bring value. If nothing breaks when it disappears for two weeks, it was never the job.

Decision question: If I drop this for two weeks, who notices — and does that notice matter to the team’s outcomes?

Copy this promptHere is my list of recurring activities as an engineering / R&D manager: [paste 5–15 items, no names or confidential details]For each item, answer in a table: 1) Likely value if it stopped for two weeks (high / medium / low) 2) Who would notice 3) Candidate to eliminate? (yes / no / unclear) 4) One sentence whyFlag anything that is reporting, status for its own sake, or a meeting without a decision. Do not invent items I did not list.

Example: You run a weekly “metrics walkthrough” that restates a dashboard everyone can open. AI flags it as a eliminate candidate. You cancel the meeting and send a two-line note: “Dashboard is the source of truth; ping me only if a number needs a decision.”

2. Automate

For what remains, ask what a tool can do without your judgment. Drafting, summarising, sorting, and first-pass sorting of tickets are good candidates. People decisions are not. Use an approved assistant from your top AI tools shortlist, not a personal account with work data.

Decision question: Can a tool produce a first draft I will still check, or does this step need my judgment?

Copy this promptActivity to automate: [describe the recurring task in 3–5 lines]Propose a simple automation that a manager can run this week: 1) Trigger (when it starts) 2) Inputs I must provide (no confidential people data) 3) Exact prompt or steps for the tool 4) What I must still check before anything is sent or assigned 5) What should never be automated in this activityKeep it practical. Prefer one routine over a complex workflow.

Example: After stand-up, you paste anonymised blockers into your approved model and ask for a sorted list: needs a decision today / can wait / needs an owner. You still assign owners out loud.

3. Delegate

Hand off work that should belong to someone else: a tech lead, a project coordinator, or a peer. Delegation is not dumping. It includes the outcome, the constraint, and when you want a check-in.

Decision question: Whose role is this closer to than mine — and what do they need to own it without me in the loop?

Copy this promptTask I am considering delegating: [describe the task and the outcome needed]Draft a short delegation brief I can edit: – Outcome (one sentence) – Why this person / role (leave a blank for me to fill) – Constraints and non-goals – Decision rights (what they can decide alone) – Check-in date and what "done" looks like – Risks I should watch as the managerDo not invent a person's name, rating or private context. Leave blanks where I must decide.

Example: Vendor follow-ups on a tooling renewal sit better with the tech lead who uses the tool daily. AI drafts the brief; you add the budget ceiling and the date you need a recommendation.

4. Focus — now or plan later

What is left is value-added work only you should do: coaching, a hard call, a design review, a priority trade-off. That is the work of an AI manager in the people sense — AI can prepare, you decide. Choose one path:

Focus now: protect a block today (even 45 minutes) and do the work before the inbox reclaims you.
Plan later: put a named slot in your agenda with a verb and an outcome, then protect it like a meeting with someone else.

Decision question: Does this need my best attention today, or a protected slot this week?

Copy this promptValue-added work that survived eliminate / automate / delegate: [paste 1–5 items]For each item, recommend Focus NOW or Plan later, with: – Why (one sentence) – If NOW: a 45–90 minute plan (steps, starting prompt if useful) – If later: a calendar title, duration, and the preparation I should do the day before – What "done" looks likeBe direct. Prefer fewer items finished over many items scheduled.

Example: A design-trade-off review for a critical path survives the filter. You block 90 minutes tomorrow morning titled “Decide: cache vs recompute for service X” and ask AI only for a one-page pros/cons from the notes you already have.

Data safety and judgment

Do not paste confidential plans, personal data about people, health information, or unreleased numbers into a tool your company has not approved. Strip names where you can. Treat every model output as a draft.

AI prepares, you decide. The filter fails if you let the model cancel work, assign owners, or fill your calendar without a human check.

How to start this week

List 10 recurring items from your last two weeks.
Run step 1 on the whole list. Cut at least one thing.
Run steps 2–3 on what remains. Automate one draft; delegate one brief.
Put one surviving item in tomorrow’s agenda with a verb in the title.

One manager task per week, with the same rule, is in the weekly notes.

Free kit

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FAQ

What order should I run the four steps?

Always in order: eliminate first, then automate, then delegate, then focus. Skipping ahead keeps low-value work on your list.

Can AI decide what to eliminate or delegate?

No. AI can propose candidates and questions. You decide what stops, what gets automated, who owns the rest, and when you focus.

How is this different from an AI task manager?

A task manager organises work that is already on the list. This filter removes, automates or hands off work before you spend focus time on it.

Written by Sacha Remacle, AI Ambassador │ R&D Team Leader. AI prepares, you decide.