Decision volume and the limits of executive attention
Count the demands arriving at the top, but examine complexity and timing before setting a decision quota.
The performance question
Ten routine approvals and one uncertain restructuring decision cannot be treated as equivalent units of attention. A volume audit is useful when it reveals repeated low value requests, simultaneous deadlines or decisions whose owner is unclear. It is not a test of personal mental capacity.
What the evidence supports
HSE identifies limits in processing information, holding items in memory and making decisions. Its workload guidance stresses task analysis and how staff are used, not headcount alone. It supplies no universal maximum number of executive decisions per day.[1]
A practical approach
Log one week of decisions by type, authority, complexity and interruption cost. Delegate repeatable choices within explicit limits, batch routine approvals and reserve preparation time for consequential commitments. Check that deputies have capacity and access to the evidence needed to decide safely.
How to review progress
Review executive queue time, delegated rework and the proportion of requests resolved at the intended level. Watch for workload being transferred without support. A lower executive count is useful only if decision quality and delivery across the organisation are maintained.
Sources and references
- Human factors: Workload Opens in a new tab
Health and Safety Executive
Processing limits, task analysis, workload drift and staffing