Find the repeated dependency
Record the question, consequence, skill and authority required. A high-frequency interruption often points to missing information, process or decision rights.
- Log ten interruptions
- Group the causes
- Choose one boundary
- Delegate with an escalation trigger
- Review the next cases
Log the decision behind each interruption
For a few normal working days, record what people ask you, what they need to decide and what happens if they wait. Separate requests for information from requests for approval. Answering the same factual question repeatedly calls for a different fix from reviewing an unusual customer commitment.
Group the entries by cause: unclear ownership, missing instructions, insufficient skill, missing access or an authority limit. Do not label every interruption a staff problem. Sometimes the owner has delegated the task but retained the only password, customer history or permission needed to finish it.
Illustrative example: delegate within a boundary
A delivery lead can rearrange routine work but still asks the owner to approve every change. A useful boundary might allow changes that keep the agreed customer commitment and use available capacity, while requiring escalation when either condition fails. The exact boundary must fit the business and the person's competence.
Write the rule with a normal example and an exception. Check understanding by asking the lead to explain the next decision they would make. 'Use your judgement' is not enough if you have never made the judgement criteria visible.
Review decisions without quietly taking the work back
Agree when you will review the first cases and what evidence you need. If a case goes wrong, identify whether the boundary, information or skill was missing. Update the relevant control rather than automatically making yourself the approver again.
Keep genuinely consequential decisions with an appropriate authorised person. The goal is not to remove the owner from everything; it is to remove avoidable waiting while keeping sensible checks. Look for fewer repeat questions and clearer ownership, not merely a busier team.