Make better decisions in half the time
Without chaos or draggy meetings
Meetings are where good intentions go to die.
You block the time. Everyone shows up. You talk. And talk. And somehow… nothing moves forward.
Sound familiar?
If you’re leading a team — especially in a fast-moving, high-context environment — the way you make decisions is one of your biggest levers for impact. And also one of your biggest sources of wasted time.
So today, I want to share a simple system I use to help teams make better decisions — faster, with less friction, and with more ownership.
No frameworks. No stickies. No circus.
🎯 The 3C Decision System
Here’s the core of it. Every team decision needs three things:
1. Clarity
What decision are we actually making? Not what we're "discussing", not what we're "exploring", but what we're deciding — today.
Write it down. One sentence. Make it visible to everyone in the room. Tricky to write that down in one sentence? Then keep going until you can. As long as it is not described in one sentence, making the decision simply will not work.
2. Context
What do people need to know to make this decision well? You don’t need 20 minutes of updates. You need 2 minutes of useful context: what’s at stake, who’s impacted, and what’s unclear.
If someone can’t explain the context in 2 minutes, they’re not ready for the decision.
3. Commitment
Who decides, and how will we move forward?
Is it consensus?
Is someone the decider?
Is this a test or a final call?
Whatever it is, be clear. Then end the meeting with one sentence: “This is the decision we made. This is what happens next.”
🧠 Why it works
It focuses energy on action, not discussion
It builds ownership because roles and expectations are clear
It saves time because people know what to prepare for and what to leave out
It builds momentum, not meetings
Try it this week
In your next decision moment, say this:
“Let’s define the decision, give just enough context, and then agree how we’ll commit.”
And then follow the 3C flow:
Clarity → Context → Commitment
Simple. Repeatable. Impactful.
Next week, I’ll share the #1 mindset shift that helped me go from being a busy leader to a focused one — without losing empathy or control.
Until then: Lead less by talking. Lead more by deciding.
– Bob, Creator of Lead with Impact
Keep learning
Keep learning how to create more impact as a leader from my book SOPHIA, The Wisdom of Agile Organizations. Order direct on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F671L5DV/ref=sr_1_3