Appoint and oversee department heads

I need to send the appointment letters and job descriptions for the three new department heads to Priya in HR and to Martin, the operations director, with instructions that Martin signs last and that HR prepare the onboarding checklist. Make sure the job descriptions include reporting lines, budget authority, and the first-quarter deliverables, and set a Friday deadline for signatures.

Before I circulate these appointment documents to Priya in HR and Martin in operations, make the package quick to approve: put the names, salaries, and start dates on the first page, list the three top deliverables per head so Martin can judge operational fit, and flag any salary increases over 6 percent that might make payroll hesitate.

I sent draft appointment letters to Priya in HR and Martin in operations; Martin returned them unsigned saying the budget lines didn’t match his forecast. I don’t know whether the error is my spreadsheet conversion or an earlier agreed change. What is the most likely cause and the simplest fix so both sign this week?

Over the past year we have repeatedly rewritten department head job descriptions during recruitment, costing two weeks each time and eroding trust with candidates. Where am I losing time and credibility most—scope creep in deliverables, inconsistent salary bands, or late stakeholder input—and what one habit should I change to stop the churn?