The Person Closest To The Situation Should Make The Decision
How many times has this happened to you?
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Someone you’re working with has an idea.
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He/she tells you “I think we should do this.”
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Your own experience tells you it’s a bad idea and you say “I think it’s a bad idea.”
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He/she explains further information.
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With more details, their idea makes sense and you say “Now I get it. Yes, that sounds great.”
Very often, ideas that don’t make sense at a high-level make perfect sense once explained in depth.
If a boss or manager says “No” without full understanding then some good ideas aren’t being tested.
If every idea needs to be explained and approved before execution then time passes waiting for approval even if the answer is “Yes” every time.
If a boss or manager decides “No”, there is no guarantee that they are correct. There is a difference of opinion between someone with less experience but who is much closer to the situation and someone who has more experience but hasn’t seen the details of this specific situation.
Is the stove too hot to touch? I would trust a 15-year-old in the kitchen more than a master chef who’s not in the restaurant.
Solution: Anything Goes, Just Cap The Risk
How much is worth risking for a good idea?
Whether your ‘Cap’ is $50, $500 or $5,000, allowing decisions and ideas to be executed without requiring ‘approval’ removes a bottleneck through which ideas otherwise need to squeeze through.
Just decide a ‘Cap’ that doesn’t break the bank, and the immediate result is that more ideas will be tested.
Some ideas and decisions will be good, and a few will dramatically improve your business for the better.