Desk Theory — Rotation

In my previous Desk Theory, we talked about the slope.

But in practice, the desk doesn’t just tilt.
It gets rotated.

Every time someone comes to you with a problem, they’re — often unconsciously — trying to turn the desk slightly toward you.

Not because they’re avoiding responsibility.
But because it makes sense.

You have more context.
More experience.
More authority.

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Sometimes, they’re right.

I’ve had situations where the stakes were high and the trade-offs unclear —
and pulling the problem back to my desk was the right move.

But I’ve also had situations where I took it back too quickly —
and unintentionally made myself the default owner.

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That’s the difference.

Not whether work flows back —
but whether it flows back by default.

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Good management is not about keeping the desk fixed.

It’s about noticing when it’s being turned —
and making a conscious decision each time.

Let it rotate when it matters.
Turn it back when it doesn’t.

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I’m thinking of putting together a short, practical guide on this — how to handle these moments as they happen.
Would you want that?