How do I prepare for a role change that alters who approves my work?
Quick answer
Before the change, list work awaiting approval and decisions already made, noting each item’s owner, reviewer, status, and next step. Then ask the relevant people which approval arrangements continue, which change, and when the change takes effect. Confirm the answers in writing and update the tracker. If ownership is unclear, flag the item and ask who should decide rather than assuming the old or new approver.
The question, the details, the next step.
My role is changing, and some of my work will need approval from different people. What should I do first?
Start by making an inventory before trying to redesign the approval process. Capture each item that is waiting for review, each decision already made that others may rely on, and any upcoming work likely to need approval soon.
For each item, record its name, current status, person doing the work, current reviewer, next step, and any date that matters. Keep decisions already made separate from decisions still pending: that distinction helps people avoid reopening settled matters or treating an unapproved proposal as final.
For example, assume you are moving from preparing a weekly report to coordinating the team that reviews it. Your inventory might include “Week 18 report — draft complete — awaiting review from [current reviewer] — next step: confirm whether the review should happen before [date].” The names and dates are placeholders; use your actual arrangements.
How do I find out who approves each kind of work after the change?
Ask about the work by type, not just about your new title. A role title may not answer who reviews a particular deliverable, who makes the final decision, or who handles exceptions.
Use questions like these with the people responsible for the transition:
- Which work types will I prepare, review, or approve after [effective date]?
- Who makes the final decision for each type, and who is a reviewer or adviser?
- Does the current approval route remain in place for items already underway?
- What should happen if the designated approver is unavailable or the decision is urgent?
- Where should the decision and its rationale be recorded?
Ask the relevant people together when practical, or send the same concise questions to each person. If answers differ, state the specific item or work type and request a shared clarification. Don’t treat silence as approval.
What should I do with work that is already waiting for approval when the role changes?
Give every pending item an explicit transition plan. Ask whether the current reviewer will finish it, whether it should move to a new reviewer, or whether work should pause until the new arrangement is confirmed. Also clarify whether feedback already received remains applicable and who will tell other people about a changed decision-maker.
Here’s a copyable tracker row:
Item: [deliverable or decision] | Status: [draft / submitted / awaiting review] | Current owner: [name or role] | Current reviewer: [name or role] | New reviewer: [name or role / to confirm] | Decision already made: [yes/no; brief note] | Next step: [action and owner] | Needed by: [date or not set] | Confirmed with: [person] | Last updated: [date]
Worked example, with hypothetical placeholders: Weekly report | awaiting review | owner: [you] | current reviewer: [A] | new reviewer: [B, to confirm] | decision already made: no | next step: ask [A] and [B] who will review this version | needed by: [date]. Update the row once they confirm. If no one accepts ownership, mark it “unassigned” and raise it with the person coordinating the change.
How can I make sure the change is understood without creating a long handoff document?
Send a short written summary of the agreed arrangements and attach or include the tracker for outstanding items. Separate confirmed decisions from questions still open. For example:
Approval transition — effective [date]
• [Work type]: prepared by [role]; reviewed by [role]; final decision by [role].
• In-progress items: [current arrangement or item-specific plan].
• Open question: [issue]; person confirming: [role]; target date: [date or “to agree”].
• Tracker owner: [role]; next update: [date or event].
Ask the relevant people to correct anything inaccurate. Keep the note focused on approvals and pending work; it does not need to restate every detail of your role change. If the approval route remains unsettled, say so plainly and identify who will resolve it. Your tracker can organize the conversation, but it cannot establish authority or replace an agreement by the people responsible.
A practical checklist
List work awaiting review, decisions already made, and near-term items likely to need approval.
For each item, record status, owner, current reviewer, next action, and relevant date.
Ask who prepares, reviews, and makes the final decision for each work type after the effective date.
Agree how in-progress items and unavailable approvers will be handled.
Mark unresolved ownership clearly and identify who will confirm it.
Share a concise written summary and update the tracker when arrangements are confirmed.
A few more useful answers
Should I keep using the old approval route until the change takes effect?
Ask the people coordinating the change to confirm the route and effective date, especially for work already underway. Record the agreed plan for each pending item rather than assuming either route applies.
What if two people give me different answers about who approves something?
Name the specific work type or pending item and summarize the conflicting answers neutrally. Ask the relevant people to agree on the decision-maker and record the resolution in the tracker.
What belongs in the tracker if a deadline has not been set?
Write “not set” or “to confirm” rather than guessing. Add who will confirm the timing and, if useful, when you will check back.