Put Human Approval at the Consequential Boundary

Treat human approval as a boundary around consequential choices—not a blanket pause on every agent step.

For each workflow, sort actions into three lanes: permitted within a defined scope, held for approval, and outside the agent’s authority. For example, an agent might prepare an internal draft within agreed limits, while sending a customer-facing commitment waits for an authorized person to review it. A change that falls outside the approved scope should stop rather than quietly become an exception.

Make the boundary usable: name who approves, what evidence they need to see, and what happens if approval is unavailable. Then review real examples of proposed actions and revise the policy when the consequences or assumptions change. The aim is not more approvals; it is clear ownership where the stakes justify it.