Decision rights: what it is and what it means

Decision rights are the section of the job description that specifies the decisions the role holder can make on their own and those that require validation by their manager. They mark out the team member's space of operational autonomy, reducing requests for authorization at the top. Every written decision right means one fewer micro-interruption for the business owner. The absence of written decision rights is the main cause of decision overload at the top: without a written reference, every exception climbs back up to the top of the hierarchy.

Distinctive: decisions the role holder can make on their own
Distinctive: those that require validation by their manager
Essential: team member's space of operational autonomy
Essential: reducing requests for authorization at the top
Constant: autonomy

Glossary

Decision rights

The section of the job description that specifies which decisions the role can make on its own and which require approval from above.