The executive docket
An explicit, short list of the technical decisions an executive owns personally because they cannot be separated from company strategy. These are bet-the-company technology, build-versus-buy for the differentiating capability, lock-in of a core capability, foundational infrastructure, and the security and reliability posture. Everything else is delegated with real authority.
Evidence grade: practice A widely adopted practitioner model with clear provenance.
Use it when
Deciding which technical decisions belong to the executive; taking back one that is about to be made by default.
Where it stops working
A docket that is too long is micromanagement with a title. Without one, the strategic decisions are made by whoever felt strongly.
Where the standard uses it
- TJ-4Technical credibility and interventionStaying close enough to judge, and knowing when to step in.
Used alongside it
- Installing a decision process practice
- One-way and two-way doors practice
- Systems understanding over currency practice
- Task-relevant maturity practice
- The intervention threshold practice
Cite this model
Chicago, BibTeX and licence →Engineering Management Academy. (2026). The executive docket. In Engineering Management Academy Body of Knowledge (Version 3.1, TEC.executive-docket). https://www.engineeringmanagement.academy/body-of-knowledge/techniques/executive-docket