The team knows who does the task but still waits for permission to move it forward. Decision rights explain which choices a role may make, within what limits and when another owner must approve. Use them where repeated approvals interrupt otherwise predictable work.
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Choose a recurring decision
Pick something specific, such as moving a delivery slot within an agreed client window. Separate it from decisions that change price, scope or contractual commitments. Ask the person making the decision which information and authority they need, and ask the current approver what consequence concerns them.
Write a decision boundary
Decision and intended outcome.
Role authorised to decide.
Information and authoritative record to use.
Limits on time, scope, cost or other relevant consequences.
Exceptions requiring approval.
Record of the decision and review method.
Test the boundary using a normal case, a near-limit case and an exception. If the rule cannot distinguish them, add the missing condition rather than relying on “use common sense”.
An illustrative transfer
A delivery coordinator may reorder internal preparation tasks while keeping the agreed client milestone. A change to that milestone goes to the delivery lead. The founder reviews patterns instead of approving every internal adjustment. The authority follows the consequence of the decision, not simply the seniority of the person asking.
Review the boundary after use
Use three short practice cases before transferring authority. One falls comfortably inside the boundary, one sits near a limit and one exceeds it. Ask the decision-maker and approver to choose a route independently. If they disagree, identify the missing condition. The aim is shared judgement for the recurring case, not a longer list of approvals for every imaginable exception.
Related guidance: practical process-mapping guide.
Look at waiting, escalations and corrections. If reasonable decisions keep being reversed, explain the judgement and update the agreement. If a limit is too broad, narrow it until the person has the information or support needed. Hili Consulting can help establish practical authority alongside task ownership.
