When Decisions Stall
3 Practical Ways to Keep Your Projects Moving
Projects rarely stall because teams lack effort. They stall because decisions aren’t clear.
Across mission-driven organizations, we see the same pattern: capable teams, meaningful work, and strong leadership. Yet projects slow down the moment a key decision is required.
Who has the final say?
What information is needed?
Does this require consensus?
How long should the review take?
Without clear answers, deadlines slip. Stress increases. And leaders who should be focused on strategy end up chasing approvals.
If decision-making friction is slowing down your projects, here are three practical shifts that restore clarity and forward momentum.
1. Treat Decisions as Part of the Plan
Many projects include predictable decision points:
Deliverable approvals
Phase or milestone sign-offs
Budget authorizations
Communication approvals
Yet these moments are often handled informally, through scattered emails or last-minute requests.
Instead, incorporate decisions directly into your project plan.
Add them as tasks or milestones, with defined start and due dates, and ensure they have a clear owner.
When decision points are visible in the timeline:
Expectations are set early.
Decision-makers aren’t surprised.
The team understands what must happen before moving forward.
Planning how and when decisions will be made reduces ambiguity. And ambiguity is what stalls progress.
2. Prepare Decision-Makers to Engage Effectively
Good decisions require preparation. Before a decision point arrives, clarify:
What information will the decision owner need?
Do they need access to draft materials or supporting data?
Are they choosing between clearly defined options?
Does this require discussion rather than simple approval?
Some decisions are straightforward. Others, especially those involving committees, require structured engagement. That may mean scheduling and facilitating a feedback meeting with a clear agenda, so build this time into your plan.
When leaders know when and how they’re expected to engage, decisions move more efficiently, and relationships remain intact.
3. Reflect on Decision-Making During Your Retrospective
Even well-planned projects can encounter decision delays. If we spend some time at the end of our projects reflecting on how we can improve decision-making, we can create the clarity needed to move our projects forward.
During your project retrospective or debrief, ask:
Which decisions took longer than expected? Why?
Was it clear who had final authority?
Did decision-makers have the information they needed?
Were the right stakeholders involved?
Were decisions scheduled at the right points in the timeline?
Did we make good decisions that led to better deliverables and more successful outcomes?
These questions turn bottlenecks into learning opportunities. Over time, your organization builds a more intentional approach to decision-making, one that supports leadership rather than slowing it down.
Project Decision-Making FAQ
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The key is framing. Rather than “assigning a task,” position the decision point as proactive planning:
“There’s a key moment in this project where your perspective will be important. To avoid last-minute pressure, I’d like to schedule that decision point early so you have time to review and weigh in.”
Then confirm:
Does the timing work?
How much review time feels reasonable?
What information would be helpful?
This approach shows respect for their time and authority while protecting project momentum.
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Start by reframing what consensus means.
Consensus does not require unanimous agreement. It means the group understands the direction and is willing to support moving forward, even if it wasn’t everyone’s first choice.
Before the meeting, clarify three things:
Who ultimately owns the decision? Is the committee advisory, or does it hold final authority? Be explicit. When authority is unclear, discussions drift.
What kind of input is being requested? Are you asking for open brainstorming, structured feedback on defined options, or alignment on a proposed recommendation? Clear boundaries create focused discussion.
How much time will this decision require? Consensus takes time. Share materials in advance. Build space for review. If the topic is complex, consider scheduling separate meetings for discussion and final alignment rather than forcing closure in one meeting.
When people know their role and have adequate time to process, consensus becomes far more achievable.
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Pause and reset.
Identify:
What decisions are still ahead?
Who owns them?
What information is required?
What timeline is realistic?
Add those decision points into your plan now. Then document what you’ve learned so the next project begins with more clarity.
Final Thought
Decision-making clarity is not about control. It’s about structure.
When decisions are visible, well-planned, and reflected upon, projects move forward with less friction and more confidence.
That’s not about working harder. It’s about leading more intentionally.
Jami Yazdani is the founder of Yazdani Consulting & Facilitation, where we help mission-driven leaders turn project chaos into clarity and confident action. You lead the vision - we clear the path.