When management teams struggle to make decisions, unclear ownership or a poorly defined process may be getting in the way. Agreeing on who decides, whose input is needed, and when to act can help teams move forward. Match the level of review to the consequences of the decision, then make sure someone owns what happens next.
Does your company or management team have trouble making decisions? Delays can hold up important work and frustrate everyone involved, including employees counting on the management team for direction.
Some decisions deserve careful deliberation. Others stay on the agenda for weeks because nobody is clear on what it will take to resolve them. The same questions resurface, more people join the conversation, and the team leaves another meeting without a way forward.
So why do smart people have problems making decisions? Here are six things to watch out for:
Is it clear who is responsible for the decision? If not, debate can continue without anyone having the authority to bring it to a close. Several leaders may assume someone else will decide, or each may believe they have the final say.
Put it into practice: Before the discussion begins, confirm who has decision authority and who will gather the information needed. Where a board or committee must approve the decision, clarify the approval process and timing. Making these roles explicit is a central feature of established decision frameworks such as DACI.
Getting input from people with relevant knowledge can improve a decision. The process becomes harder when everyone involved expects to approve the outcome, even where consensus is unnecessary.
Someone responsible for implementing a change may see a practical problem that senior leaders have missed. Their input deserves attention, even if they do not have final decision authority.
Put it into practice: Identify whose expertise you need and consult the people who will carry out the decision. Be clear about whether you are asking for advice or approval, and set a deadline for input.
Email and shared documents can give people time to consider a proposal and contribute thoughtfully. But a long thread can become difficult to follow when people are working from different assumptions or responding to different versions of the question. Email also lengthens the decision-making process because it is non-real-time. A meeting can help resolve those differences, provided everyone knows what needs to be decided.
Put it into practice: Circulate a short summary of the decision and the options beforehand. If written exchanges stop producing progress, bring the relevant people together to resolve the outstanding questions. Record the outcome in one place so everyone can refer to it.
The quality of a decision generally improves as more information is gathered, but there is a point of diminishing returns. Weigh the consequences; sometimes it is better to err on the side of rapid action, before the window of opportunity closes, than to suffer the costs of dragging a decision on too long. A small pilot that can be adjusted warrants a different level of scrutiny from a major investment or a decision affecting employee safety.
Put it into practice: Agree on what information is essential and what uncertainty you can reasonably accept. Set a decision date. Where practical, test an approach on a limited scale and establish when you will review the results.
Management teams are often full of strong personalities and differing views. That can be useful when people challenge assumptions and examine the options carefully. It becomes a problem when defending a position takes priority over the business outcome.
Watch for discussions where the same arguments repeat or people dismiss an idea before understanding it.
Put it into practice: Agree on the criteria before debating the options. Ask what evidence would change each person’s view, and invite concerns from people who have not spoken. The person leading the discussion should make it possible to disagree without making it personal.
Making a decision involves taking a risk. Leaders may hesitate if they expect to be blamed for an outcome they cannot fully control. Others may agree in the meeting but continue questioning the decision afterwards, leaving employees unsure how to proceed.
Following through requires clear expectations and room to raise new evidence.
Put it into practice: Record who owns the next action and when it is due. Agree on what would justify revisiting the decision.
At your next management meeting, choose a decision that has been sitting unresolved. Clarify who can make it and what is still needed before they do. Set a date, then assign responsibility for the first action.
Working through a real example will help you see where your process is getting stuck and what needs to change.
Are recurring decision delays affecting your plans? Stratford works with leadership teams to clarify accountability and strengthen strategy execution. Talk to us about where your team is getting stuck.
Businesses and careers are powered by decisions. So, why not make the decision right now to create a culture of action within your management team?
This post was previously published in 2010 under the title "How to Make Decisions Effortlessly in Your Organization." It has been updated with new content.