Constraint Library
Real Signs Your Business Has an Approval Bottleneck
A checklist companion to the Approval Bottleneck definition already in the Constraint Library.
Signs worth checking for
Work visibly waits on one person's reply to an email or message before it can continue, regardless of how routine the decision actually is. People start pre-emptively doing work "in case" it gets approved, to avoid losing time waiting. Nobody can say how long an approval is supposed to take, only how long it usually ends up taking.
Related Constraints
Have a specific operation in mind?
This is general analysis. Confirming what's actually true for your business is what a Discovery Engagement is for.