Making quick decisions (without losing quality)
Making quick decisions (without losing quality)
5 minutes
Many leaders believe good decisions require more time, more data, and more certainty. In reality, what slows decision-making most is not complexity – it’s hesitation.
When decisions linger, momentum drops. Teams wait. Energy drains. Small issues grow into bigger ones. And leaders carry unnecessary cognitive load trying to hold everything open “just a bit longer.”
Making quick decisions doesn’t mean being careless. It means using simple structure to move from uncertainty to action with confidence -and knowing when it’s appropriate to pause briefly, rather than delay indefinitely.
One of the most useful distinctions leaders can make is between one-way and two-way decisions.
A one-way decision is hard to reverse. Once you walk through the door, it closes behind you. These decisions often carry long-term consequences and are costly or difficult to undo.
These are decisions that:
- Are difficult, costly, or risky to undo
- Have long-term or irreversible consequences
- Usually need more thought, consultation, or data
Think of these as “walk-through-the-door-and-it-locks” decisions.
Examples:
- Making someone’s role redundant
- Closing a business unit
- Signing a long-term contract
- Changing organisational structure
- Making a public commitment that can’t be easily walked back
With one-way decisions, it’s worth slowing down slightly to check assumptions, consult where needed, and ensure the decision meets a clear “good enough” bar before moving forward.
A two-way decision is easy to adjust. If it doesn’t work, you can step back, refine, or try a different approach with minimal impact.
These are decisions that:
- Can be changed, refined, or reversed with little cost
- Are low-risk experiments rather than permanent commitments
- Benefit from speed more than perfection
Think of these as “open the door, step back if needed” decisions.
Examples:
- Trialling a new meeting format
- Testing a new process for a month
- Adjusting team priorities for the week
- Trying a different way of communicating expectations
- Piloting a tool or approach
For two-way decisions, the goal is not to wait for certainty. It’s to decide, learn quickly, and adjust.
Firstly, speed creates momentum.
Teams need movement more than perfection. When leaders make timely decisions, work keeps flowing. People know what to act on, where to focus, and what matters now. Delayed decisions quietly become bottlenecks that slow everyone down.
Secondly, clarity reduces stress – for you and your team.
Unmade decisions sit in the background, draining attention. Once a decision is made, even a provisional one, cognitive load drops. Teams stop guessing. Leaders stop ruminating. Energy shifts from debate to execution.
Thirdly, confidence grows through repetition.
Decision confidence is not a personality trait – it’s a capability. Leaders who practise making small, timely decisions build trust in their judgement. Over time, this strengthens authority, credibility and calm under pressure.
Research consistently supports structured, timely decision-making:
- Daniel Kahneman’s work on decision heuristics highlights how leaders often make better decisions by reducing over-analysis and avoiding the need for complete information before acting. This insight supports faster, more confident decision-making in uncertain environments.
- Jeff Bezos describes decisions as either one-way or two-way doors — some are hard to reverse and require deeper consideration, while others are easy to adjust and benefit from speed.
- According to insights published by Harvard Business Review on decision-making, teams perform better when leaders make decisions quickly and adjust later, rather than delaying action in search of certainty.
- Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety highlights that teams are more effective when leaders treat decisions as visible and can be re-visited, supporting learning and adaptability over blame.
In other words, Speed + Reflection beats Delay + Perfection.
✓ You don’t need all the answers.
✓ You need to know whether a decision is reversible.
✓ If it doesn’t meet the bar, be clear about what’s missing, how you’ll get it, and who else you may need to consult – then set a short time limit to revisit the decision.
Use the Quick Decision Framework to decide, move forward, and learn – especially when time, information or energy are limited.
