← DictionaryApproval
also called sign-off
Documented agreement that work meets requirements and may proceed.
A recorded yes.
What It Is
Approval belongs to Execution, specifically the Process part of it. What it actually refers to is documented agreement that work meets requirements and may proceed.
It is an idea you reason with rather than a deliverable you hand over, so two teams can both hold it correctly and still apply it differently. Used with that meaning, it stays a working tool rather than a talking point.
How It's Used
Most of the time Approval is used in project delivery, scheduling and the handover between people doing the work. In real work it sits close to Decision Maker, Version and Change Request. The practical test is whether a decision changes because of it.
Why It Matters
Ignoring Approval rarely fails loudly — it fails slowly. When it is unclear, work still happens — it just happens twice. Deciding it deliberately costs one conversation. Leaving it undecided costs several.
It is an idea that changes what you decide, not an item you tick off. A recorded yes.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Inside the industry, Approval is used tightly and assumed to be understood: documented agreement that work meets requirements and may proceed.
Away from the jargon, it is a recorded yes.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Approval: a recorded yes. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.