Assign delegates to an OKR
Last updated: September 4, 2026
A delegate is a person you name on an Objective, Key Result or Initiative to keep it current on the owner's behalf: they can edit its details and check in, while the owner stays accountable. Assign delegates from the goal's More → Delegate pill or by asking chat. A goal can have any number of delegates, and delegates are shown to everyone who can see the goal.
Why delegate
Leaders own strategic OKRs but rarely have time to update them, so the goals go stale and reviews run on old information. Delegation separates accountability from upkeep: the owner's name stays on the goal, and the people closest to the work keep the value, status and notes current.
Delegates get clear responsibility without asking the owner for every change, several delegates can cover a goal across teams and time zones, and every update is attributed to whoever made it in the activity timeline.
What a delegate can and cannot do
| Delegates can | Delegates cannot |
|---|---|
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The right-hand column is the "manage" permission, held by default by the goal's owners, their managers and Rhythms Admins. A Rhythms Admin can change who holds it in Settings; see Rhythms OKR Roles and Permissions.
Assign delegates in the app
- Open the goal. If it has no delegates yet, click More → Delegate; otherwise click the Delegate pill.
- Tick one or more people. You can include the owner, so the same person is both owner and delegate.
- Click away to save. The pill shows the first two avatars and "+N delegates" when there are more.
You need manage permission on the goal to do this. If the goal is Limited, Rhythms warns that the new delegates will be able to see it and asks you to confirm. You can also set delegates while creating a goal, from the Delegate pill in the create form.
Assign delegates in chat
- "Add Sarah and John as delegates for the Q1 Revenue OKR"
- "Assign Alice, Bob and Charlie as delegates on all my Marketing OKRs"
- "Remove Tom as a delegate from Product Launch"
- "Clear all delegates from my OKRs"
Chat replaces the whole delegate list with what you name. To add someone while keeping the existing delegates, name everyone who should remain.
Notifications
New delegates are notified with a link to the goal, and people who are removed are told they are no longer responsible. These land in the Inbox under the Delegations filter, and in your other channels according to your notification settings. If a delegate's account is deactivated, Rhythms removes them from every goal and notifies each owner so they can reassign.
Working as a delegate
Filter any OKR view by Delegate to list the goals delegated to you, or ask chat "Which OKRs am I a delegate on?". When a goal has delegates, its check-in reminders go to the delegates instead of the owners, on the goal's check-in rhythm. If several delegates share a goal, agree who updates what; the activity timeline shows who changed each field, and the owner can edit or revert anything.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an owner and a delegate? The owner is accountable, appears as the goal's owner in views and reports, and holds manage permission: owners, delegates, check-in rhythm and deletion. A delegate has edit permission: everything else, including check-ins and visibility.
Can other people see who the delegates are? Yes. Delegates appear on the goal for everyone who can view it, and views can filter by delegate.
Can the same person be owner and delegate? Yes. Adding the same person twice as a delegate is prevented.
What happens to delegates when ownership changes? Nothing; the delegate list stays as it is and the new owner can change it.
Can I give different delegates different permissions? No. All delegates on a goal have the same edit permission. To give someone full control, make them an owner.
Is there a limit on delegates? No technical limit. Keep the list to people who will actually update the goal.
Do I need an admin to turn delegation on? No. Delegation is available in every workspace.