Making decisions at the speed of the team

Most decisions are two-way doors. Treat them that way and your team moves faster, and learns more.

The slowest teams I’ve worked with weren’t short on talent. They were short on permission. Every choice waited for the one person who could make it.

Sort the door first

flowchart TD
  Q[A decision lands on your desk] --> R{Easy to reverse?}
  R -->|Yes: two-way door| S[Decide in the room.<br/>Tell people after.]
  R -->|No: one-way door| T[Write it down.<br/>Get two other views.]
  T --> U[Decide within a week]
  S --> V[Review in a month]
  U --> V

Three habits that help

1. Name the door. Say out loud whether this is reversible. It changes the energy in the room.
2. Set a decision date. Open-ended discussions expand to fill the calendar.
3. Write the “why” in two sentences. Future you will thank present you.

Speed comes from trust, and trust comes from seeing decisions explained.

ImportantThe trap

“Let’s take this offline” is often a one-way door in disguise. Agree who decides, and by when, before anyone leaves.