How To Make Fast, Bold, And Inclusive Team Decisions: A Leader’s Guide

There's a practical question I'm sometimes asked by leaders as they shift their teams from slow and siloed ways of working to fast, bold and inclusive collaboration:

"How do we keep track of rapid decisions when we're playing as a team?"

It's a critical question in today's fast-paced business environment. As organizations move away from traditional hierarchies towards more agile, collaborative modes of working, decision-making becomes both more inclusive and more complex. The challenge lies in maintaining clarity and accountability while harnessing the power of diverse perspectives.

The answer lies in what I call "Decision Governance," a key practice of Teamship that I explore in my upcoming book, Never Lead Alone. Our research shows that teamship is the competitive advantage and the differentiator between average teams and the extraordinary top 15% teams in the world. Elite teams have shifted from a traditional model of overstretched, hierarchical leadership to peer-to-peer teamship driven by:

1. Co-elevation: co-leading teams and elevating each other to achieve world-class performance.
2. A shifting from standard working habits to inclusive 21st century collaboration practices, processes and tools to achieve bolder innovation and faster decision­ making.

Let's understand why this shift is so crucial.

Why Fast, Bold, and Inclusive Decision-Making Matters

Teamship is designed for today's volatile world. The uncertainty and performance pressures surrounding us demand extreme collective focus from teammates. We can't afford to cling to outdated routines and rigid protocols that hinder growth. In my last book, Competing in the New World of Work, I introduced the concept of radical adaptability, based on insights from more than two thousand leaders on navigating change amidst uncertainty. This approach advocates for a culture built on foresight, inclusion, agility, and resilience, supported by specific team behaviors and practices.

The goal is to foster a work environment that enables agile innovation and expansive co-creation at an accelerated pace. There are 10 shifts required to build teamship—each of which is tailored to our current reality of hybrid work and networked teams. They address the need for a new work contract and heightened agility in our rapidly evolving landscape. These shifts tackle issues that weren't priorities two decades ago, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionize team collaboration. To drive transformative business outcomes in today's world, we must forge a new working culture.

The challenge, then, is how to harness these benefits without creating chaos. That's where Decision Governance comes in.

Introducing Decision Governance

Decision Governance is a framework that ensures everyone is clear about roles and decision-making responsibilities. It's built on a model that you will find used in organizations like Amazon known as DACI:

• Driver: Responsible for driving the decision process forward.
• Approver: The designated final decision-maker.
• Contributors: Key team members who provide input and help shape the decision.
• Informed: Those who need to be aware of the decision and its outcomes.

This framework allows teams to make bold decisions faster, with broader input and clearer ownership. Here's how it addresses our key challenges:

1. Speed: By clearly defining roles, it eliminates confusion and speeds up the process.
2. Boldness: With diverse contributors, teams can consider a wider range of options and potential outcomes.
3. Inclusivity: The framework ensures that relevant voices are heard, fostering engagement and better outcomes.
4. Accountability: Clear role definition means everyone knows who's responsible for what.

Implementing Decision Governance in Your Team

Ready to transform your team's decision-making? Here's how to get started:

• Identify Key Decisions: Map out the types of decisions your team regularly makes.
• Assign Roles: For each decision type, clearly define who will play each DACI role. This might vary depending on the nature of the decision.
• Create a Shared Document: Use a tool like Google Docs to create a "Decision Log" that outlines the DACI roles for different decision types. This becomes your team's go-to resource.
• Train Your Team: Ensure everyone understands the framework and their potential roles.
• Start Small: Begin with less critical decisions to allow your team to get comfortable with the process.
• Review and Refine: Regularly assess how the framework is working and adjust as needed.

The Future of Team Decision-Making

As we look ahead, practices like Decision Governance will become increasingly crucial. In a world where change is constant and challenges are complex, our ability to make smart decisions quickly and collaboratively is our greatest asset.

As AI becomes more integrated into our work, having a clear framework for human decision-making will be vital. It will allow us to leverage technology while ensuring that our uniquely human qualities – creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking – remain at the forefront.

The shift to fast, bold, and inclusive decision-making isn't just about keeping up with the pace of business. It's about unleashing the full potential of your team. By implementing Decision Governance, you're not just changing how decisions are made – you're transforming how your team works together, innovates, and drives results.

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