Decision rights

Spell out authority, not information. Name the one person accountable for the outcome, then separate who may only recommend, who can act alone, who signs off, who can overrule, and what triggers escalating to someone else.

Spell out authority, not information. Name the one person accountable for the outcome, then separate who may only recommend, who can act alone, who signs off, who can overrule, and what triggers escalating to someone else.

Example

Before vacation you write: "You own delivery. You can approve anything under $2,000 or a two-day slip. Scope changes and pricing come to me. If I am unreachable 24 hours, our VP decides. The client cannot approve new scope by email."