Stop Decision Drift Before It Starts
How decision routines build clarity, speed, and accountability.
Published
November 30, 2025
Why Decision Drift Happens
Why Decision Drift Happens
This article digs into the root causes of decision drift and shows how decision routines—not just decisions—create clarity, speed, and accountability.
Too often, organizations assume making decisions is enough. But according to McKinsey:
No clear decider: many stakeholders think they decide but don’t.
Poor orchestration of inputs: endless “consulted” loops extend time to decide.
Delegation without empowerment: decisions bounce back up the hierarchy.
Ineffective meetings: agendas blur between info, discussion and decision.
When decisions sit in decks instead of getting acted on, drift sets in. Weeks go by, metrics stall, and teams repeat the same conversation next Monday.
How Decision Routines Change the Game
How Decision Routines Change the Game
Decision routines shift the focus from what decisions are made to how decisions are made and followed up. Here’s how high-velocity teams tackle drift:
1. Define the purpose
Every decision moment must be clear: is this a discussion, a decision, or an update? Meetings that don’t clarify this become motion, not progress.
2. Assign the decider and set boundaries
Use frameworks like DARE (Decider • Advisor • Recommender • Execution stakeholder) to reduce vote and veto-culture.
3. Embed follow-through A decision routine captures the decision, the owner, the deadline, and next update. It ensures action, not just discussion.
4. Measure the loop
How many decisions were made last week? How many follow-ups completed? How many were escalated? These become real metrics—routine loop completion, decision latency, learning velocity.
How IMS Turns Decisions into Progress
Conclusion
References
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-organization-blog/the-limits-of-raci-and-a-better-way-to-make-decisions