Look at the evidence
Review a routine request with the manager.
Ask what would happen if they acted without permission.
Check the written boundary against actual founder responses.
A case to think through
A supervisor has an approved remedy but remembers being criticised for using it. Informal behaviour has overridden the stated permission.
This is a hypothetical operating example, not a client result.Avoid a misleading conclusion
Concluding that a manager lacks initiative without examining the consequences they face can reinforce the pattern.
Decision independence combines a named owner with usable authority, relevant information and appropriate escalation. Look at ordinary cases as well as exceptions. Formal restrictions may be entirely appropriate; the question is whether the route is deliberate and workable rather than an invisible queue for the founder.
Your evidence check
Bring supporting and contrary examples. A self-reported answer is a starting point; these notes do not calculate or validate a score.
| Prompt | Notes from your case |
|---|---|
| Request | |
| stated authority | |
| expected consequence | |
| information | |
| actual precedent |
Should I tell them to stop asking?
First establish that they have usable authority, capability and information. Then clarify the cases that should stay with them.
See the wider pattern.
20 questions. An indicative, self-reported result with a five-dimension profile and an optional conversation.
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