Inevitably, there will be times when there are too many managers and executives involved in a decision.  This often happens for significant decisions that cross department or business unit lines.  As leaders, we need to ensure that the decision-making process is as effective as possible.

Three simple steps to follow:

1. Have One Decision Maker: Ideally, this should be the person at the lowest level that has authority over all aspects of the decision.
2. Get Higher Ups Out of the Room: The decision maker’s boss or bosses need to get out of the meetings and the decision process to give the decision maker the autonomy to make and implement the decision.  The bosses’ role should be in support or in being a sounding board for the decision maker behind the scenes.
3. Reduce the Core Team Size: As with the higher ups, others tangentially involved in the decision need to be a support or sounding board or, if they must participate, a loyal foot soldier who will help implement the decision.

In summary, team decision making requires a small, accountable team that can make a decision and move forward without the input and egos of other executives.    Too many cooks in the kitchen, too many decision makers in on a decision makes for a worse solution, that takes longer to reach, and that will be harder to get all stakeholders to rally around and implement.

The lesson for leaders is that sometimes we lead best when we don’t lead at all.

Soup please.