This isn't a rhetorical question. Decision making is part of daily business life. It seems that each day brings more decisions than the last, so how do you ever make progress? You delegate decision making to other team members and employees.

Does it make sense to let individuals make their own decision every time? Perhaps not, but don't miss the positive advantage decision making can add. It is important to first address good decision making practices to your entire venture. After all you hired and built your team the way you have for a reason. If they are the experts (and they should be for their primary role) they are in the best position to make an informed decision for a topic in their own domain.

Remember if you slip into micro-managing you have caused two major issues. The first is that you will spend most of your time researching and making decisions for others instead of focusing on your own important decisions. The second is that your team may become irritated by the lack of control in their own work or feel that you do not fully trust them to make even simple decisions (this could actually make them more dependent on your decision making, ouch).

Decision Making Guidelines:

• Subject Matter Expert - If you are the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the topic you should be making the decision. That doesn't mean it will be the last work or that it shouldn't be discussed in a larger context, but let SMEs make a decision based on their experience and best judgement.
• Money Threshold - Empower your team to make decisions on their own up to a certain dollar amount. Is there software or resources they require for their job? Are you comfortable letting them make decisions individual and together as what works best for the group? Discuss the limit and let them know it is something that can be revisited as needed in the future. Clearly communicate that even if the decision is over the agreed dollar amount you still would like to know what their decision would be and how they arrived at that conclusion.
• Win / Win - Every decision should be made with the understanding that it benefits the individual and the overall business. Try to avoid an outcome that penalizes the business or the individual, it doesn't make for a good long term solution either way.
• Auntonomy - Remind yourself and others that focusing on the decisions within their own domain take priority to getting involved in the decision making process of others. This will help keep the focus on issues within the control of the individual and remove micro-managing and wasted time.
• Gather - Some decisions need to be made as a group, but the process should not start and end during the span of one meeting. Send out questions or resources ahead of the meeting. Encourage each person to come to the meeting with a decision and their reasoning already formed. Discuss the merits and issues of each decision and then as a group use that combined effort and knowledge to make the best decision possible.

Remember that when everyone is empowered to make decisions they feel valued and trusted. Use this understanding to accelerate your business and allow others to make a difference. Lastly, never forget that if you had to make every decision you would be frustrated and lack focus for important tasks.