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A senior dev told me to stop asking for permission on small fixes
I was working on a bug ticket in our Chicago office about six weeks ago. I kept asking my lead for approval on every tiny code change, like updating a button color. She pulled me aside after standup and said, 'You're hired to solve problems, not just report them. If it's under $500 of dev time, just fix it and tell me after.' That flipped a switch for me. Has anyone else had a manager give you a specific rule like that?
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derek_hill1mo agoMost Upvoted
That $500 rule is a solid line in the sand.
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brooket431mo ago
I read a book on team management that called this a "decision threshold." It said having a clear number, like Derek_Hill's $500 rule, cuts down on hesitation and paperwork for small things. The author argued it actually saves money because people don't waste time debating tiny purchases. It frees everyone up to just handle the routine stuff and focus on bigger problems.
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jason_davis1mo ago
Yeah, that "line in the sand" thing is key. My old boss had a similar rule about not needing a meeting for anything that could be a two sentence email. It saved so much time just to act on the small stuff.
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