Have you written down which decisions your team can make without you?

A one-page "who decides what" list (sometimes called DACI or RAPID) tells people what they own and up to what limit. Escalations drop because people stop asking permission for things they already have.

How to automate it

How to automate “make calls on things that get escalated to me”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today and, for AI fixes, a prompt to copy.

30 min

typically, every day

30%

of the time can be automated

Some setup

to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Process fixBest fix

Write down who decides what so fewer things come to you

Escalations pile up when people are unsure whether they are allowed to decide. A one-page decision-rights list pushes most calls back to the team.

Typically saves about 35% of the time2 h to set up

1List the last 20 things that were escalated to you.
2For each type, decide who should own it next time and up to what limit (money, risk, customer impact).
3Publish this as a one-page "who decides" list, using a simple DACI or RAPID format.
4When something is escalated that is on the list, send it back with the list, kindly.
5Review the list every quarter and push more down.

Tools: Notion, Confluence or a shared doc

Fix 2 of 2

Ask for a one-page decision doc and have AI structure it

Decisions go faster when they arrive as a short written doc with options and a recommendation, instead of a meeting. AI can turn a messy thread into that format in minutes.

Typically saves about 40% of the time10 min to set up

1Ask whoever brings you a decision to use a one-page format: context, options, recommendation, risks, deadline.
2If it arrives as a thread or meeting notes, paste it into AI with the prompt below.
3Decide in writing on the doc. Meet only if the options are genuinely close.
4Keep the docs in one folder so the reasoning is easy to find later.

Prompt to copy

Turn the material below into a one-page decision doc. Sections: 1) the decision needed and by when, 2) context in three sentences, 3) two to four options with pros, cons, cost and risk for each, 4) the recommendation and why, 5) what we will watch to know if it was right. Flag any facts that are missing with [MISSING]. Do not invent numbers.

[PASTE THREAD, NOTES OR PROPOSAL]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you written down which decisions your team can make without you?: A one-page "who decides what" list (sometimes called DACI or RAPID) tells people what they own and up to what limit. Escalations drop because people stop asking permission for things they already have.

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

CEO / Founder General Manager / VP Department head / Director

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

How many hours does this cost you?

The free 8-minute check works out where your week goes and gives you your top fixes. The team scan does the same for everyone and adds it up, so you know which leaks to fix first.

Take the free check Scan my team, $49

Answers are anonymous. Leaders only see team totals.