Executives and CEOs make many decisions every day. It is impossible to give each of those decisions any deep analytical attention. We make some decisions under stressful conditions. We make other decisions with no real precedent as a guideline. We make other decisions because someone “wants it done that way.” Complicating decision making even further is the fact that we all make decisions with both logic and bias – even strategic decisions. Sometimes a decision has so much input that we’re not even sure what we were trying to solve in the first place. Oftentimes, it’s at this point that inaction rings the death knell for that issue and no decision comes forth. Is there a better way to make decisions?

👮‍♂️ This week I facilitated a DSC debrief for a group at a local court here in Georgia. Getting beyond the scanner (thank goodness!) a police officer wanted to know my business there. Explaining I was doing a program for a judge, he offered to escort me, and I decided to accept. (I think that’s one of those offers you can’t refuse.) The officer asked if I wished to take the stairs or the elevator. I was carrying notebooks, a computer, various technical gear, give aways, and my 800-pound purse, so I wisely made the decision to take the elevator. Reaching the correct floor, he guided me through a maze of hallways, a door requiring a passcode, another maze of halls, and finally into the correct office. Yes! I made a good decision by allowing the officer to guide me.

We make hundreds of decisions every day. Some may be more difficult to make than others. Deciding what to wear is a little less risky than, should I move to Bora Bora, or should I invest in soy beans or technology? When you add several other people into the decision making soup, it becomes a little more murky. There are many factors that can affect, influence, and block a team’s decision making efforts.

What Impacts a Team’s Decision Making Abilities?

• Listening: This, of course, falls under the culture umbrella. Does the team listen to one another? Are ideas allowed to flow freely without fear of negative conflict, ridicule, or automatic dismissal? Serious conflict can be a real roadblock.
• Team Size: The size of the team can have an affect on team decision making. The larger the team, the more difficult it will be to make a decision.