Switch from permission to intent to unlock ownership

The kitchen was in the weeds. Tickets spilled like a paper waterfall and the grill hissed non‑stop. In the old days, cooks shouted, ‘Chef, permission to 86 salmon?’ and waited while the bottleneck grew. The new head chef banned ‘permission to’ and trained everyone on a simple switch: state intent, then act within clear bounds.

“Chef, I intend to 86 salmon for 20 minutes to catch up,” a line cook called while wiping his hands on a towel. “Do it,” the chef replied, eyes on the board. The shift felt different. People weren’t reckless, they were responsible. The chef had invested a week building competence checklists—temps, allergens, station swaps—and certifying each cook. After that, the language changed, not the chain of command.

They added ten‑minute after‑action huddles at the end of service: what went well, what surprised us, what we’ll change tomorrow. One night they realized the fry station always lagged whenever the salmon promo hit. They moved a prep cook for the first 45 minutes and the line smoothed out. Honestly, not every call was perfect, but each imperfect call became a lesson that stuck.

Within a month, ticket times dropped and staff turnover slowed. Diners noticed the calm. That’s the social science: when people own their actions, serotonin rises with earned pride, oxytocin grows as trust spreads, and cortisol falls because waiting for permission is replaced with clear responsibility. The framework is intent‑based leadership—leaders train and set boundaries, people state intent and act, then everyone learns together.

For a week, ban ‘permission to’ in routine decisions and have trained people state ‘I intend to’ instead. Build competence checklists so leaders know who can act safely, then step back and let certified folks execute within boundaries. After key actions, run brief debriefs to lock in learning, and keep sharing the why and the limits so intent stays aligned. You’ll hear less waiting and see faster, smarter moves. Try the switch on one workflow tomorrow lunch or during your next class project.