Contemplating an action or decision? Use this checklist to assess whether you have the needed authority, and who to pitch if you don't.

1. Does your action or decision significantly impact or exert control within any domains of others?

If so, you'll need permission from its owner (except in some urgent cases).

2. Does your action or decision violate any policies?

If so, you’ll need to get the policy changed in a governance meeting (except in some urgent cases).

3. Does your action or decision require spending money?

If so, you’ll need a budget from an authorized role, usually a Lead Link.

4. Does your action or decision dispose of the company’s property, or significantly limit its rights?

If so, you’ll need explicit authorization for that; see the Constitution for details.

If you’ve answered “no” to all the questions above, or gotten permission when needed, then you have the authority to proceed - good luck!

Urgent case exceptions

Even if your action or decision violates a domain or policy, you can still do it in some cases.

All Partners can act outside of their roles (“Individual Action”) as long as:

• You are acting in good faith to serve the Purpose or express the Accountabilities of some Role within the Organization, or of the overall Organization itself.
• You reasonably believe your action would resolve or prevent more Tension for the Organization than it would likely create.
• Your action would not cause, commit to, or allow spending or otherwise disposing of the Organization’s resources or other assets, beyond what you’re already authorized to spend.
• If your action would violate any Domains or Policies, you reasonably believe that you can’t delay the action long enough to request any permissions normally required, or to propose a Governance change to allow your action, without losing much of its potential value.

See Constitution Section 4.3 for details