The Upward Escalation Problem
If your executives are still deciding things that should be decided two levels down, you don't have a people problem. You have a missing framework.
The Decision Rights Matrix is that framework. It's one page. It takes an afternoon to build. And it eliminates 60-80% of unnecessary upward escalation.
What Is a Decision Rights Matrix?
A Decision Rights Matrix is a simple table that defines who decides what. For every recurring decision type, it specifies:
- Decide (D): This person makes the decision alone
- Consult (C): This person must be consulted before the decision
- Inform (I): This person must be informed after the decision
- Escalate (E): This decision must be escalated to this person
The Template
| Decision Type | CEO | COO | VP Sales | VP Marketing | VP Product | Director Ops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing changes >10% | E | C | D | I | I | - |
| New hire approval | I | D | C | - | - | - |
| Marketing campaign >$50K | E | C | - | D | I | - |
| Product feature prioritization | I | C | - | - | D | - |
| Vendor selection <$10K | - | I | - | - | - | D |
How to Build It
Step 1: List Your Decision Types (30 minutes)
Brainstorm every recurring decision in your organization. Not one-off decisions. Recurring ones. Aim for 15-25 decision types.
Examples:
- Pricing changes
- New hire approval
- Marketing campaign approval
- Product feature prioritization
- Vendor selection
- Budget reallocation
- Customer escalation
- Process changes
- Tool adoption
- Travel approval
Step 2: Define the Decision Makers (30 minutes)
For each decision type, ask: Who is the right person to make this decision?
The right person is:
- Closest to the information needed
- Accountable for the outcome
- Capable of making the decision
Not the most senior person. Not the person who historically made it. The right person.
Step 3: Define Consult and Inform (30 minutes)
For each decision, who needs to be consulted? Who needs to be informed?
Consult means: their input is required before the decision is made.
Inform means: they need to know the decision was made, but their input isn't required.
Keep consult lists short. If everyone consults, no one decides.
Step 4: Define Escalation Triggers (30 minutes)
When must a decision be escalated? Define clear triggers:
- Dollar thresholds
- Risk levels
- Strategic impact
- Cross-functional scope
Escalation should be the exception, not the rule.
The Implementation Rules
- 1.Publish it: Everyone sees the matrix. No hidden rules.
- 2.Follow it: If the matrix says you decide, decide. Don't ask permission.
- 3.Review it monthly: Is it working? Are decisions still escalating unnecessarily? Adjust.
- 4.Train on it: New hires learn the matrix in onboarding. Existing teams review it quarterly.
The Results
A $42M professional services firm implemented a Decision Rights Matrix and tracked the results:
- Pre-matrix: 78% of decisions escalated to the CEO
- Post-matrix: 23% of decisions escalated to the CEO
- Average decision speed: 5.2 days → 1.4 days
- CEO's weekly decision load: 34 hours → 9 hours
- Employee satisfaction with "autonomy": 4.2/10 → 7.8/10
The One-Page Promise
The Decision Rights Matrix fits on one page. That's intentional. If it doesn't fit on one page, it's too complex. If it's too complex, people won't use it.
One page. Clear rules. Faster decisions. Better execution.
The Bottom Line
Decision rights aren't about power. They're about clarity. When everyone knows who decides what, decisions get made faster, people feel more autonomous, and executives focus on what only they can do.
Build your matrix this afternoon. Test it for 30 days. You'll never go back.