Chronic Enthusiasm

Many managers choose to make important decisions by themselves after some discussions with the team members involved. Companies desiring a consensus management culture pass the decision process to the team itself. The downside is that decisions can take a very long time with the corresponding negative effects upon schedules.

A powerful solution that I learned from Dave Brown in my first two startups was his practice of setting a deadline for an important decision. He would say, “You guys make a decision by 10 AM on Tuesday. You decide on time or I will.” This method simultaneously delivers timely decisions and positively reinforces the company culture.