Hard Deck.

If you’re a pilot, the ground is a disinterested third party.

At least the aviator has an altimeter, an artificial horizon, their eyes, and in modern aircraft, a robotic ‘Terrain! Terrain! Pull-Up! Pull-Up!’ cockpit warning.

What is the decision-maker’s equivalent warning of approaching doom?

Do what pilots do - and create a ‘hard deck’.

The ‘hard deck’ is the height below which pilots don’t fly as it simulates the ground. For example - no dogfighting below 10,000 feet. This allows a large enough ‘fudge factor’ for a pilot to fly above ‘the ground’ - while avoiding the uncompromising response from the ‘real ground’ if the pilot should accidentally break the hard deck.

Have a policy template response of ten working days to any inquiry or complaint - but make it your practice to respond in seven, or even five. The ground is ten - while your hard deck is whatever timing you decide. If an unexpected issue arises that means you can’t respond by five, or seven, then at least you’ve got three days before you come up against your promise to the third party.

Or do the reverse. Instead of declaring a longer time, declare a shorter one. You know a person will take up an hour of your time. Set aside half an hour for them, forcing a hard deck on them to have themselves better prepared. You know you need to get back to that complainant in five days - tell the subordinate you need their response in three - and give them a hard deck.

By setting and sticking to your decision hard deck - you reduce the likelihood of spearing into every decision-maker’s enemy:

Inaction.