The Hawaii Test

Our aim at Athena is to give you your time back so you can spend it in the ways that matter most.

In each issue of our newsletter you’ll get unique delegation tips.

The Hawaii Test

I spent a month meticulously documenting all the steps of our family vacation planning process.

Flight searches? Specific airlines only. Hotel bookings? Five-star with pool access. Daily itineraries? Morning-to-evening schedules.

When I handed this beautiful system to my assistant, I felt like a delegation genius.

Then one day I told him: "Plan our family trip to Hawaii."

And everything fell apart.

"Which island?”

“What's your budget?”

“Mostly beach time?”

I realized I'd created a process that worked well, until it needed judgment beyond the script.

This is the Process-Driven Delegation Trap. It feels like delegation, but you’re still making every critical decision.

Processes work when the road is predictable and straight. But the moment your team hits an unexpected turn, everything stalls until you provide new instructions.

Instead of: “Follow this checklist to plan our Hawaii trip: Book a five-star beachfront hotel, schedule flights on United, and create a daily itinerary with at least two activities per day.”

Try: “Plan a seamless, relaxing Hawaii trip for our family. We’re looking for a high-end experience that balances relaxation and active exploration. Check in if there’s a major trade-off I need to weigh in on.”

The difference? You're delegating goals, not just tasks.

When you delegate goals:

1. People make informed decisions without waiting for you to approve

2. They develop problem-solving muscles by navigating trade-offs on their own

3. You get time back and mental space back

Most importantly, your team progresses without you having to clear every roadblock.

Read more on how to delegate goals instead of process here.

The Pixar Brain Trust in Action

Toy Story 2 was almost a disaster.

The story wasn't working. Characters felt flat. With millions already spent and a release date looming, Pixar's leaders gathered in a room to watch what they had.

And no surprise, the screening was brutal.

But instead of immediate reactions, everyone went to lunch. They sat. They thought. They let the problems simmer.

Two hours later, they returned with unfiltered opinion that the film needed to be completely rebuilt. Nine months to release, and they were starting over.

Meet Pixar’s Brain Trust: A small group of directors who gather every few months to dissect unfinished films.

The rules are simple but strange…

• No one in the room has any actual authority. Their harshest criticism can be completely ignored.

• No solutions allowed. Point out every problem you see, but the moment you suggest how to fix it, you're breaking protocol.

It's ruthless and it works.

Up, Ratatouille, Inside Out - every film goes through this gauntlet. Every director faces the same brutal honesty.

Most feedback systems fail for two simple reasons: Authority and ego.

When feedback comes attached to power ("The CEO doesn't like it"), people change things for the wrong reasons. When feedback threatens egos, people get defensive rather than receptive.

A “Brain Trust” approach strips away both problems.

Want to give it a try? Here’s how your assistant can help facilitate this type of meeting for you and your team.