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Vol. I · No. 251
Mon · 8 Jun
A Daily Lexicon of Trustworthy Data
The Lexicon

658·40

escalation

/ˌes.kəˈleɪ.ʃən/ - n.

1 [colloq.] Sending a decision upward in search of an owner, where it is acknowledged, admired for its complexity, and sent back down for alignment.Keep. Punchy.This is the problem.

Working definition

2. The act of raising an unresolved issue to a level with the authority to decide it.

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See also
  • accountabilityA quality every initiative is said to require and every org chart is careful never to locate.
  • alignmentThe state of having agreed on the word 'alignment.'
  • steering committeeA body that steers by approving the direction already taken.
  • the abstract ownerEveryone agreed it was owned. No one could say by whom. The asset has a guardian the way the weather has a manager.