7 steps to speed up Office of the CEO decision making

Death by decision: your Office of the CEO makes 297,000 judgment calls every day. 

Here’s the calculation: 33,000 decisions / person / day * 3 people (CEO, Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant) * 3x CEO Office workload / avg human workload = 297,000 decisions / day 

Sources: Harvard Business Review and Cedar research

Office of the CEO decisions you might encounter include the following: Do you invest in a new product? Do you coach a failing leader? Do you meet with an unqualified prospect?

These decisions add up and cause real decision fatigue if you’re not careful. So, how do you increase decision velocity without sacrificing quality? How do you avoid death by 297,000 decisions? 

The answer is Decision Protocol - a rules-based process that helps decision groups and your Office of the CEO manage and document their reasoning. Here are 7 steps you can do to speed up decision making and reduce decision exhaustion:

1. Scope the decision

Figure out what you are actually deciding on, i.e. are you deciding to go to market in 5 new cities or 3 new countries? Define your decision criteria, which can include cost, time, or value.

2. Say yes or say no 

Based on decision scope, determine whether this is a decision for your Office of the CEO or if it can be delegated to someone on your C-suite team. Remember, the more you empower your leaders to make their own decisions, the better they feel and the less work you have to do in the CEO Office.

3. Assign the decision owner 

If you must take on the decision, nominate someone on your Office of the CEO team to take on this decision - either the Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff or your CEO as a last resort.

4. Analyze possibilities 

Identify the top 3 (maximum 5) decision options to simplify the decision process. Gather information on each choice and analyze all outcomes based on your predetermined criteria. 

5. Make the decision

Make a call and commit to your decision. Document your decision choice, reasoning and date in a referenceable Decision Log.

6. Take action 

Implement your decision and take immediate action. Track the business outcomes of your decision over time.

7. Review results 

Review your Decision Log every quarter to complete a post-mortem on the quality of your decisions, the speed of decision making and your Decision Protocol itself. Make adjustments as needed.

There you have it - 7 steps to implement Decision Protocol. Done well, you’ll avoid death by 297,000 decisions in your Office of the CEO.

Contact us here to streamline decision-making and avoid burnout with a tailored Decision Protocol for your Office of the CEO.