You were right to ask
In the fall of 2013 I was an Army Colonel in command of an infantry brigade - a large organization nearing 5,000 people. Though I had a ton of authority, I still had a boss. One of my senior officers approached me to ask if I would promote him to Colonel. It was customary, even courteous of officers to ask their commander to host these types of ceremonies but there was a hierarchy - an unwritten rule of what rank could promote what rank. Officers were typically a few ranks above the one being promoted, for instance, a General promoting an officer to Colonel, not a Colonel promoting an officer to Colonel. I had the authority to promote this individual and I knew my boss's schedule was overloaded. I was touched that he had asked me, but for this promotion, it was right for me to ask permission.
My boss, a 1-Star General, was more than happy to give me this opportunity but, he stated, "You were right to ask." By saying this he was reinforcing this customary, time-honored courtesy. His words stuck and I was glad that my instincts were correct. Sometimes you need to ask. Organizations and leaders do not have rules for everything. Some have few, if any rules or policies to guide the decisions of subordinate leaders. In these cases, it is imperative to know when to ask.
Be selective about asking. You don't want to pester your boss at every turn. You can even spend some time early in the relationship with your boss describing scenarios to gauge your authority. Before asking, review precedent, ask others advice, and listen to your gut. When in doubt and you think the decision you are about to make is substantial and far-reaching, ask.
You can frame the question like this. "Boss, I want to make a decision on _____ but I wanted to get a sense of my authority before I do." or "Boss, this decision is big and has far-reaching effects in our organization. I wanted to give you the courtesy of asking before I made it."
Again, don't become an ask permission parrot. Spend some time knowing your boss, what authority they are willing to delegate, what they desire to keep at their level. Ask others before you pester your boss, but know when to ask.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell