The escalation path

Where the owner goes when the goal is blocked by something outside their authority.

The deliverable

What it is

Blocked work does not escalate itself. Without a named path, an owner waits, and waiting is invisible until the deadline arrives.

The three things that make a path work are a named person, a stated trigger, and an expected response time.

One level in

Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.

The destination
Who the owner escalates to.
2 attributes: Escalates to · Response expected within
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The trigger
What counts as blocked, stated in advance.
2 attributes: Condition · After
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The log
What was escalated, and what happened.
3 attributes: Raised · Time to resolution · Outcome
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An escalation path never used in a year is not being used. Owners wait when the trigger is a judgement call rather than a rule.

One named owner per goal, dated and confirmed — not a team, not a role, and not two people.

Who is accountable, who does the work, who is consulted and who is only informed.