Why Does Everything Have to Be a Group Decision?

By: Anne Marie Fuda 

When too many people have a say, progress can get stuck. Here’s why clearer decision-making matters for organizational success.

Getting everyone around the table can feel like the right way to make a decision. More perspectives, more discussion and more opportunities to build alignment. But what happens when the conversation goes on for 90 minutes and nobody actually makes a decision?

In a July 2026 article, Harvard Business Review shared an example of 12 executives at a global technology company who spent 90 minutes debating whether to introduce a new executive role, only to leave without reaching a decision. It’s a familiar challenge for many organizations: when too many people are involved, decision-making authority is unclear or consensus becomes the goal, progress can quickly grind to a halt.

Effective decision-making isn’t about getting everyone to agree. It’s about creating clarity around who needs to contribute, who makes the call, and how decisions move into action.

What is the cost of slow decision-making?

The impact goes beyond a frustrating meeting. When decisions stall, projects lose momentum, teams become frustrated, and opportunities can pass by while everyone waits for approval.

A January 2026 study, based on responses from more than 1,200 business leaders, found that 73% estimate their organizations lose up to 5% of annual revenue because of slow decision-making and delayed execution. The research points to excessive approval layers, unclear decision rights, and risk-averse leadership behaviours as contributors to these delays. 

And the consequences reach beyond individual projects. Even the strongest strategic plan can struggle to gain traction when teams don’t have the clarity or authority to act on it. When decisions take too long, organizations risk spending more time discussing priorities than actually advancing them.

Why do organizations get stuck?

There are a few common reasons decision-making becomes a bottleneck:

• Unclear ownership: People aren’t sure who has the final say, who needs to provide input or who is responsible for moving a decision forward.
• Too many approval layers: Routine decisions get escalated to senior leaders, creating unnecessary delays and limiting autonomy.
• Consensus over progress: Leaders wait for everyone to agree, even when full agreement isn’t necessary to make a sound decision.

As the Harvard Business Review example illustrates, having a process in place doesn’t guarantee it will work. Decision-making structures need to be understood, respected and applied consistently.

How can organizations make better decisions?

The answer isn’t to remove collaboration or rush every decision. It’s to be more intentional about how decisions are made.

1. Clarify who owns the decision. Every decision should have one clear owner who is accountable for making the final call. Not everyone needs to be involved in every decision, and that’s okay.
2. Match the process to the decision. A significant investment or organizational change deserves thoughtful consideration. A routine operational decision may not need the same level of scrutiny. Establish clear expectations around which decisions require consultation, approval, or escalation.
3. Give people the confidence and authority to act. Clarity only works when people feel empowered to use it. Leaders need to establish boundaries, communicate expectations, and trust their teams to make decisions within their areas of responsibility.
4. Define what success looks like. Before getting into the details, align on what you’re trying to achieve. When everyone is working toward the same outcome, conversations become more focused and decisions are easier to move forward.

Is your organization set up to make decisions that move work forward?

Organizational success isn’t just about having the right strategy or the right people around the table. It’s also about creating the conditions for good decisions to happen and translating those decisions into meaningful action.

At MacPhie, we help leadership teams navigate complex conversations, work through competing perspectives, and build the clarity needed to move forward. Because sometimes, the most important step toward progress isn’t another meeting. It’s making the decision.

Explore how MacPhie helps leadership teams make meetings matter.