Delegation routing means choosing the right path for a piece of work before it starts moving: who has the context, authority, and fit for this exact task. Offloading whatever you don’t want to do just creates rework. The orchestrator looks at the work and decides where it belongs. Some goes to a person, some to a subagent, some stays with you because it needs judgment, and some shouldn’t move yet because the input isn’t ready.
Picture a general contractor in a half-finished house. Drywall, plumbing, electrical, and inspections all need to happen. A good contractor doesn’t grab the nearest person and say, “You handle it.” They route each job to the right trade, in the right order, with the right instructions.
Why you care
Routing also decides the handoff: what the next owner receives, what they return, and when they stop and ask. Every routed task needs a clear owner, even a temporary one, or everyone assumes someone else has it. Good routing feels slower for about five minutes while you name the work and pick the owner. Everything after that moves faster, with fewer half-owned tasks to rescue later.