In this episode of the Black Belt in Thinking podcast, Peter Cronin is joined by Alfredo Mycue for a thought-provoking conversation on how organisations—especially complex ones—can empower frontline staff to make effective decisions without constantly escalating to leadership. Inspired by military decision-making strategies like Auftragstaktik (mission-style orders), Alfredo introduces the concept of decision support templates: tools designed to guide judgment while preserving autonomy.
Together, they explore how these templates shift decision-making from the top to the ground level, using vivid real-world examples from government services, legal teams, and vocational rehabilitation. They also discuss the role of templates in training, mentorship, and reducing organisational energy lost in constant upward delegation. Whether you’re managing teams, delivering public services, or building a high-trust culture, this episode offers practical insights into enabling smarter, faster, and more aligned decisions.