Decision-making
Before another meeting, name the person who owns the decision
By Jon Orozco · Companion to The Decision Field Manual
Eight people have views about a vendor change. Three meetings later, everyone has spoken and nobody can say who makes the call. The missing ingredient may be ownership rather than another round of discussion.
Ask the question the agenda skipped
Before the room disperses, ask: “Who makes the call if we cannot agree?” Get a name and confirm the person has the assigned authority. Seniority, enthusiasm, and subject knowledge do not automatically make someone the decision owner.
Then clarify who contributes information, who approves where approval is required, and who needs to be informed. Those are different jobs. People can have a voice without every participant holding a veto.
Size the decision before choosing the process
An easy-to-reverse trial does not need the same process as a permanent, high-stakes commitment. Identify the stakes, reversibility, and boundaries before deciding how much input or approval is appropriate.
For a reversible test, define what you will try, what evidence you will review, and when you will revisit it. Decisions involving law, pay, or someone’s job need the appropriate authorized process and qualified support regardless of which box a simple matrix puts them in.
Leave a record people can rebuild
Capture the decision, the options considered, the reasons, and the next actions with names and dates. Record who needs to hear it. A person joining the project later should be able to understand the call without reconstructing the hallway conversation.
When reviewing the result, examine the information and process alongside the outcome. A lucky win can hide a weak decision. An outside delay can affect a carefully made one. That distinction helps the next decision improve.
Try it this week
Choose one stalled, low-risk decision. Write the call in one sentence, name the authorized owner, and identify the evidence still needed.
General educational guidance. Examples are fictional. Follow approved workplace processes and use qualified support for real cases.
Keep practicing with The Decision Field Manual
Name the owner, size the stakes, and record the reasons so the same decision stops coming back.
Explore the book and its sample →Coming to Amazon
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Try a sample situation