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One decision. Clear ownership. · Handle exceptions

Creating a recommendation before escalation

A recommendation helps the authorised decision-maker see the choice without rebuilding the whole problem. Keep it short enough to use in real work and honest about unknowns.

Put it into practice

  1. Describe the decision and deadline.

  2. Present the evidence, options and material trade-offs.

  3. Recommend an option and say what new fact would change it.

Illustrative example

A case to think through

A delivery lead proposes moving an internal task rather than breaking a customer promise, with the capacity figures and an alternative if demand changes.

This is a hypothetical operating example, not a client result.

A boundary worth checking

Presenting only the preferred option can hide a trade-off the approver needs to understand.

An appropriate escalation can be evidence that the boundary works. Judge the reason, timing and outcome rather than seeking the lowest possible number of questions. Urgent safety, security and specialist incidents retain their established response routes; a general delegation exercise does not replace them.

Use a real case from your business

Your handover working notes

Use these prompts with the person taking ownership. Record the agreement within your existing permissions.

PromptNotes from your case
Decision
options
evidence
recommendation
uncertainty

Do I need a business case every time?

No. Match the depth to the exposure and complexity. A routine exception may need only a short structured note.

Your next step

Give one decision a clear owner.

A free fillable PDF with a worked example and conversation prompts. Marketing updates are optional.

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