Home > Tactics > Decision Velocity > Push Decisions As Low As Possible

Problem: When only leaders make decisions, teams can become slow and less adaptable.

Solution: Allow team members closest to the work to make decisions, helping the team move faster and adapt to changes.

Intro:

We believe that the best decisions are made by those closest to the work. This approach, known as pushing decisions as low as possible, allows us to respond quickly to challenges, leverage each team member's unique insight, and build a culture of trust and accountability.

Tools:

• Your organization thrives when team members are empowered to make real-time decisions.
• DRIs - Directly Responsible Individuals know their work best. By giving them decision-making authority, we enable them to make immediate changes that improve results and drive progress.
• Waiting for approval from higher levels can slow down our work. When people make decisions directly, they keep the team moving forward, eliminating delays.
• By taking ownership of decisions within a DRI’s area, they allow leadership to focus on broader, strategic goals. Their initiative helps the entire organization stay aligned and forward-thinking.
• For empowered decision-making to succeed, it’s essential that everyone shares a common understanding of the goals and values.
• Full Accountability: When someone is one of the DRIs - Directly Responsible Individuals on a project or task, they have the Agency to make decisions about it. They are trusted to assess the best path forward, and with that trust comes accountability.
• Prioritize Action Over Perfection: We encourage people to make informed decisions confidently, even if they aren’t perfect. Taking action with conviction and iterating based on feedback is often more effective than delaying for extensive planning. Kaizen / Continuous Improvement
• Eyes-On, Hands-Off Leadership: We encourage leaders to support DRIs by providing guidance and resources, but they should trust the DRIs to make day-to-day decisions.
• Leaders will stay informed but should not interfere with your decision-making process unless absolutely necessary.
• In a fast-moving world, adaptability is crucial. The traditional command-and-control model, where only upper management makes decisions, doesn’t work as effectively in our dynamic environment. Instead, operate as a networked team where decisions are made at the level closest to the work.
• This flexibility allows people to adjust quickly to changing circumstances and to leverage the unique expertise of every team member.
• Empowered Execution in Practice: The Task Force implemented what McChrystal termed "empowered execution." Junior officers took on responsibilities typically reserved for senior leaders, making real-time decisions, sometimes with life-or-death consequences. This empowerment created a significant shift in team morale and accountability, as individuals felt more connected to the outcomes of their decisions.
• Set Boundaries, Not Rules: Setting broad guidelines allows team members the freedom to make decisions within an understood ethical framework. This principle helps avoid the paralysis that can arise when individuals lack clear authority boundaries.
• A good level of decentralization should make some people uncomfortable. Encourage team members to make bold, informed decisions, understanding that the discomfort from a lack of strict oversight is intentional.
• Empowerment without context can lead to misalignment or even chaos. To prevent this, invest in shared consciousness like a Single Source of Truth , ensuring that everyone has the necessary information to act independently while understanding how their decisions fit into the organization’s goals.
• An agile, empowered team thrives on the principle that the 70 percent solution today is better than the 90 percent solution tomorrow. Fast, iterative decisions, when coupled with shared context, improve adaptability and help the team learn quickly from real-time outcomes. Bias for Action