Authority Fog

Unclear processes for leave management, document submission, and policy updates create confusion about who holds decision authority. Teams discuss procedures without shared understanding of who can approve changes.

## Trigger Signals

• Teams debate process without resolving ownership
• Approval authority unclear for routine decisions
• Same procedural questions asked repeatedly
• "I don't know who can approve this"

## Why It Persists

Clarifying authority requires someone to claim it—and accept the accountability that comes with it. Ambiguity is safer than ownership.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need to document the process"
• "People should just ask"
• "This is a training issue"
• "We need a RACI matrix"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.

• Teams debate process without resolving ownership
• Approval authority unclear for routine decisions
• Same procedural questions asked repeatedly
• "I don't know who can approve this"

## Why It Persists

Clarifying authority requires someone to claim it—and accept the accountability that comes with it. Ambiguity is safer than ownership.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need to document the process"
• "People should just ask"
• "This is a training issue"
• "We need a RACI matrix"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.

Clarifying authority requires someone to claim it—and accept the accountability that comes with it. Ambiguity is safer than ownership.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need to document the process"
• "People should just ask"
• "This is a training issue"
• "We need a RACI matrix"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.

Decision authority is unclear for routine operations. Teams discuss procedures without shared understanding of who can approve changes. The fog isn't about complexity—it's about ambiguity.

## What It Looks Like In the Wild

Unclear processes for leave management, document submission, and policy updates create confusion about who holds decision authority. Teams discuss procedures without shared understanding of who can approve changes.

## Trigger Signals

• Teams debate process without resolving ownership
• Approval authority unclear for routine decisions
• Same procedural questions asked repeatedly
• "I don't know who can approve this"

## Why It Persists

Clarifying authority requires someone to claim it—and accept the accountability that comes with it. Ambiguity is safer than ownership.

## Common Misdiagnosis

• "We need to document the process"
• "People should just ask"
• "This is a training issue"
• "We need a RACI matrix"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.

• "We need to document the process"
• "People should just ask"
• "This is a training issue"
• "We need a RACI matrix"

## Cost of Ignoring

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.

Decisions stall or get made by whoever is willing to act. Inconsistency compounds. People stop trying to get approval and work around the system instead.