I made a mistake yesterday.  I got sucked into an issue way down into the details all the way to the point I was in an approval role.

It started innocently as a customer request to buy multiple variations on a single product.  We then needed to supply them with part numbers.  Seems pretty simple right?  Since we are transitioning to a new ERP system, we have been in discussions to assign new unique ID numbers to each product, so the question yesterday became whether or not to use the new system.  The new ID number system has a solid first draft but is not finalized, so in its truest form it is not ready.  However, this customer is traditionally slow to make changes, so going back to them with new HSI part numbers in a few months is less than desirable if we can prevent it.  When I went to dug into this question, I found that other essential foundational elements that must be created for our ERP transition were not completed either.

Now, instead of realizing we are just not ready to proceed with new part numbers due to multiple issues, I got wound up because our progress has been limited.  I just kept pushing.

By the end of the day I was getting updates on progress and being asked to approve those decisions.  In my role, I try to stay on critical strategic items.  My role is to connect customers to HSI, connect them to great product (via product management strategy more than specific project engineering), and develop the team.  Getting pulled into the detailed decision level takes authority, autonomy and trust away from my management staff that actually have responsibility for those decisions.  It also distracts me from my role.

It is better for me, my staff and the organization if I will stay out of decisions like this one.  I hate it when I let myself get sucked in, but it does happen.