Here's a question I hear all the time: "Why does everything have to go through me?"
If you're the principal of a family office, or the founder running a growing operation, you already know the answer. Because no one else is authorized to decide. Because the decision framework lives in your head. Because "informal" felt efficient when you had three people and $5M under management, but now you've got twelve people, $50M in assets, and a calendar that looks like a game of Tetris played by someone who hates you.
You've become the bottleneck. And it's killing your momentum.
The good news? This isn't a people problem. It's a systems problem. And systems problems have systems solutions.
Let me introduce you to the Decision Rights Matrix, the single most underrated tool in building a family office (or any organization) that can operate without you being the center of every decision.
The Bottleneck Starts With Good Intentions
Most family offices don't plan to centralize every decision around one person. It just… happens.
You started by managing your own wealth. Then you brought on an advisor. Then another. Then someone to handle operations. Then someone to coordinate the advisors. And suddenly you've got a team, but no one knows who decides what.
So they default to you. Every time.
- "Should we rebalance this allocation?"
- "Can I approve this vendor?"
- "Do we move forward with this direct deal?"
- "Should we hire another analyst?"
Every single question lands on your desk. And every question you answer trains your team to ask you the next one.
You didn't create a bottleneck on purpose. You created one by not defining decision authority. And here's the kicker: the bigger you scale, the worse it gets.
Because you can't delegate what you haven't defined. And you can't hold people accountable for decisions they don't have the authority to make.
What A Decision Rights Matrix Actually Is (And Why It Matters)
A Decision Rights Matrix is exactly what it sounds like: a clear, written framework that defines who has the authority to make which decisions in your organization.
Not who advises. Not who implements. Who decides.
It answers questions like:
- Who can approve an investment under $500K? Under $1M? Over $1M?
- Who decides on vendor contracts?
- Who has hiring authority?
- Who can adjust the portfolio allocation without a meeting?
- Who escalates, and to whom, when there's disagreement?
Think of it as the operating system for decision-making. It removes ambiguity. It creates speed. It distributes authority so that decisions happen at the right level, not the highest level.
And here's what most people miss: A Decision Rights Matrix isn't about control. It's about trust.
When you define decision rights clearly, you're saying: "I trust you to make this call within these guardrails." That's liberating for you, and empowering for your team.
The Three Principles That Make This Work
At Tall Pinze, we operate around three core principles: Clarity, Alignment, and Stewardship. A Decision Rights Matrix is the perfect embodiment of all three.
1. Clarity: Roles Over Titles
Most organizations get stuck because they define authority by title instead of role. "VP of Operations" sounds impressive, but it doesn't tell you whether that person can approve a $100K software purchase or not.
Clarity means defining decision authority by function, not hierarchy.
Example:
- Investment Committee Chair: Approves direct investments over $1M
- Portfolio Manager: Rebalances within approved ranges without approval
- Operations Lead: Approves vendors under $50K independently
You don't need fancy titles. You need functional clarity about who owns what.
2. Alignment: Everyone Sees The Same Map
A Decision Rights Matrix only works if it's visible and shared. This isn't a document you lock in a drawer and reference when there's a fight. This is the playbook your entire team uses.
When everyone can see who decides what, you eliminate the "I thought you were handling that" and "I didn't know I could make that call" gaps that create delays and frustration.
Alignment means transparency by default.
Your team should be able to look at the matrix and know:
- What decisions they own
- What decisions they advise on
- When they need to escalate
- Who to escalate to
3. Stewardship: Decision-Making Is A Responsibility, Not A Trophy
Here's where a lot of organizations go sideways: they treat decision authority like a status symbol. Bigger decisions = more important person.
Wrong.
Decision authority is stewardship. It's a responsibility to act in the best interest of the family, the mission, and the organization, within defined boundaries.
When you frame it that way, delegation becomes easier. You're not "giving up control." You're distributing responsibility to people who are equipped to handle it, so you can focus on the decisions that actually require your unique judgment.
How To Build Your Decision Rights Matrix (Without Overcomplicating It)
Let's get practical. Here's how to build a Decision Rights Matrix that actually works, and doesn't turn into corporate theater.
Step 1: List Your Key Decision Categories
Start by identifying the major types of decisions your family office makes. Examples:
- Investment decisions (public, private, direct, real estate)
- Portfolio management (rebalancing, allocation shifts)
- Operations (vendors, software, staffing)
- Governance (meeting cadence, reporting standards)
- Liquidity management (distributions, capital calls)
Step 2: Define Decision Levels And Thresholds
For each category, define the levels of decision-making authority, usually by dollar amount, risk level, or strategic importance.
Example:
- Investments under $250K: Portfolio Manager decides independently
- Investments $250K–$1M: Requires Investment Committee approval
- Investments over $1M: Requires Principal + IC approval
Step 3: Assign Roles Using RACI
Use a simple RACI framework to clarify who does what:
- R (Responsible): Who does the work?
- A (Accountable): Who has final decision authority?
- C (Consulted): Who provides input before the decision?
- I (Informed): Who needs to know after the decision?
Keep it simple. Most decisions only need one "A." If you've got three people who are "Accountable," you've got zero people who are accountable.
Step 4: Document Escalation Paths
What happens when someone disagrees? When a decision falls outside normal parameters? When there's a conflict of interest?
Your matrix should include clear escalation paths so people know exactly what to do when the normal process doesn't fit.
Example:
- Disagreement between Portfolio Manager and Operations Lead → escalates to Principal
- Conflict of interest on investment → decision moves to independent IC member
Step 5: Test It With Real Scenarios
Before you roll it out, pressure-test the matrix with real (or realistic) scenarios:
- "A $750K direct deal opportunity comes in with a 48-hour deadline. Who decides?"
- "We need to hire a new analyst. Who approves the offer?"
- "A vendor contract is up for renewal at $80K/year. Who signs?"
If your matrix doesn't give you clear, fast answers to these questions, revise it.
What Happens When You Get This Right
Here's what changes when you implement a Decision Rights Matrix effectively:
You stop being the bottleneck. Decisions move faster because people know they can decide, and they know the guardrails.
Your team becomes more confident. Clear authority = clear accountability. People step up when they know they own the decision.
You gain leverage. Instead of being in every decision, you can focus on the 5% of decisions that truly require your unique insight, strategy, family dynamics, major shifts in direction.
Conflict decreases. Most organizational conflict comes from unclear authority. When everyone knows who decides what, you eliminate 80% of the "I thought you were handling that" friction.
You can scale. You cannot scale you. But you can scale a system. A Decision Rights Matrix is the foundation of an organization that can grow without chaos.
Your Next Move
If you're reading this and thinking, "Yeah, we definitely don't have this": you're not alone. Most family offices operate on informal decision-making until something breaks. The goal isn't perfection. The goal is clarity.
Start small. Pick one decision category: maybe investments, maybe operations: and define the decision rights for that area. Test it. Refine it. Then expand.
And if you want a sanity check on how to structure decision authority without creating bureaucracy, let's talk. I work with family offices and growing organizations to install the systems that create clarity, alignment, and momentum: without losing the speed and agility that got you here.
Book a 15-minute call here and let's figure out where you're actually the bottleneck: and how to fix it.
Because you didn't build a family office to spend your life answering questions you shouldn't have to answer. You built it to create leverage, preserve wealth, and make an impact. A Decision Rights Matrix is how you get there.
