A Simple Way to Map Decision Bottlenecks

As the business scaled across five countries, we noticed that decisions — big and small — were still flowing up to just one or two senior leaders.

Even experienced team members hesitated to act.

It wasn’t a capability issue. It was a delegation design failure.

🔍 The Challenge: Everyone’s Waiting for Approval

In high-growth businesses, speed kills bureaucracy. But when no clear rules govern who decides what, teams default to caution — or founder approval.

Symptoms of bottlenecks:

• Daily decision paralysis

• Leaders cc’d on everything “just in case”

• Repetitive back-and-forth on tactical items

• Senior team feels like they’re in every room — all the time

This isn’t sustainable. It burns out the top and freezes the middle.

🛠 DIY Tool: Decision Flow Mapping Sheet

We built this to help founders quickly trace where decision authority is broken, missing, or over-centralised.

It works well in team workshops or as a founder diagnostic.

Try this in 45–60 mins:

• List Key Recurring Decisions

(e.g. pricing, hiring, product roadmap, vendor selection)

• Map Who’s Currently Involved

  Who owns it? Who’s consulted? Who signs off?

Define Ideal Decision Structure

Assign:

D1: Final Decision Maker

D2: Must Be Consulted

D3: Informed Only

Flag Gaps or Overlaps

• Where are decisions bottlenecked? Where is authority unclear?

Rebuild Delegation Paths Intentionally

• Use the map to coach or restructure authority — not just push it away.

💡 Why This Matters

When decisions don’t flow clearly, neither does growth.

This isn’t about hierarchy — it’s about momentum and trust.

Founders should be freed to lead — not approve everything.