Delegation Diary: You Gucci?

A simple text exchange with my Athena assistant, Nikko, reminded me why strong relationships and a personal connection matter in delegation.

He messaged to check if I was all set, despite having major personal news of his own to share.

What struck me was the natural balance. He led with work ("Are you all set?") before sharing his joy.

This showed me two things:

1. We've built enough trust that he feels comfortable sharing such a big life milestone.
2. He maintains professionalism while creating space for personal connection.

This kind of relationship doesn't happen by accident. Here are a few things that worked for us:

1. Sending selfies and pictures
   I’m not really a small-talk person, but I found that a more organic way to build a more personal connection was to send him pictures and selfies when we first started working together. This included things he planned for me, such as work dinners, a tourist attraction while on vacation, airport lounges, and hotel rooms. Sometimes I’d include a funny comment or note, and we would laugh about it.
2. Sharing wins
   When something goes well, I make it a point to really give Nikko credit. We mention him by name in our follow-up emails after events, for example. I believe this helps him feel part of the core team, which he has become.
3. Turning moments into inside jokes
   One of my co-workers loves “dad-jokes” and employs that type of humor. Once he asked, “You gucci?” in our group message, and Nikko didn’t know what that meant. I explained it was slang for “you good?” and now he uses that with me.

‍

-Stephen S.