The point of an approval is not to make the owner redo the work. It is to show the proposed action, the evidence behind it, and the consequence before the sensitive step happens.
Choose the right level
Begin with draft-only work. Move a routine action forward only after the output is consistent and the exception path is clear. Keep money, contracts, professional judgment, employment decisions, and material external promises with a person.
What a useful approval shows
A useful review names the proposed action, who or what it affects, the source facts, and what happens after approval. A button with no context is approval theater.
Keep the decision history
Supported approval proposals and decisions are written to a reviewable history. Use that history to find repeated exceptions, tighten instructions, and see whether the job is ready for a different control level.
The owner still owns the outcome
Approval is a control, not a transfer of responsibility. The person who approves the action should have enough context and authority to make the decision.
