The AI recommends moving a deadline. The next step updates the project and sends an email. Somewhere between a suggestion and an external commitment, the decision disappeared.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash.
Separate recommendation, authorisation and execution. Define who decides, what evidence they need and which action follows approval. A sensible recommendation does not give a tool authority to carry it out.
Name the stages
Recommendation prepares options or a proposed action. Authorisation is the decision by somebody with the relevant responsibility. Execution carries out that approved action.
Stages can sit close together, but they should remain understandable. Ask the team to identify when a proposal becomes an authorised instruction. If nobody can point to it, the design needs clarification.
Write an authority boundary
For an illustrative planning workflow:
AI identifies a scheduling conflict and suggests options.
The project owner checks dependencies.
The authorised client lead approves an external commitment.
The system updates agreed records and messages.
A changed or unclear proposal returns for decision.
Your roles may differ. Agree the boundary rather than copying these titles unchanged. Include a route when an approver lacks authority for part of the proposal.
Make approval concrete
Show the action, affected record, recipient and material consequences. Avoid approval for a vague instruction such as 'handle the issue'.
If the proposal changes, decide whether approval is needed again. Permission for one deadline does not automatically cover another chosen later. Record the exact proposal and decision so the team can investigate an unexpected result.
Check beyond the wording
A prompt describes a rule; the technical workflow must respect it. Ask the administrator to verify available actions and whether the intended approval gate blocks execution.
Test rejection, cancellation and an unavailable approver. Make waiting work visible to an owner. Check partial execution before allowing retries.
Allow advice to remain advice
Sometimes the right result is a recommendation saved in a draft. Give staff a way to record the decision and stop. Automatic execution is a separate choice needing evidence and permission.
Related guidance: guide to mapping the work before changing it.
Hili Consulting can help clarify decision rights before AI recommendations change client work.
