Redundant Approvals Killing You?

My favorite crazy redundancy is the budget process that requires multiple approvals.

Here’s how it works. You have your annual budget process and request funds to purchase new equipment during the year. The budget is approved. But then a few months later when you are ready to replace a piece of equipment, a second approval is required to make the actual purchase.

In other words, the approval given at one point can be reversed at any other. Now, of course things change and an investment that seemed feasible at the beginning of the year may not be prudent eight months later. But most of the time, this second approval is unnecessary and debilitating for managers.

We inadvertently create multiple opportunities to squash action. It only takes one “no” to stop an initiative, while it takes as many “yeses” as there are approval layers. Not good odds.

Slim down and trust your managers with the timing and execution of your original approval. What do you think?