%201.svg){kind=small}
The 70% Rule for Faster Decisions
One of the primary reasons projects stall is because decisions don’t get made.
Every extra day a decision sits on someone’s desk adds more meetings, more messages, and more noise and distraction. Momentum erodes under the weight of “let’s circle back.”
The fix is simple but it takes commitment: decide faster.
The 70% Rule
The truth is, you’ll rarely have 100% of the information you want when a decision needs to be made. And waiting for it often costs more than deciding early and adjusting.
In fact, waiting for perfect certainty is the fastest way to guarantee delays.
That’s where the 70% rule comes in.
It simply means once you have roughly 70% of the information you need, make the call and move forward.
Then use real-world feedback to refine as you go because progress creates new data faster than deliberation does.
This is how healthy operations avoid analysis paralysis and maintain critical project momentum.
5 Steps to Faster Decisions
1. Label Decisions as Reversible or Irreversible
- If a choice can be reversed with minimal cost, make it fast.
- If it’s a big, irreversible one, set a clear deadline for when the decision will be made and who owns it.
Decision speed comes from knowing which is which and treating them differently.
PRO TIP: Have one accountable person per decision to keep things moving and avoid confusion from too many cooks in the kitchen.
2. Create Decision SLAs
Create a simple service-level agreement for how quickly your team makes calls:
- Small decisions: within 24 hours
- Medium: within 48 to 72 hours
- Large: within 5 days, maximum
Then publish them in your project plan. Make it visible who decides what and by when. Because clarity delayed is complexity multiplied.
3. Set Escalation Paths
If a decision deadline passes, define how and who will move it forward. “Default to proceed” can be a healthy rule for small, low-risk decisions.
4. Review and Reset
At the end of each week, look at which decisions slowed you down and why. Adjust the SLAs until you find your team’s rhythm. These lightweight reviews turn every decision into a data point for the next one.
5. Treat Decision Making as a Shared Value
When teams see leadership choosing progress over perfection, it becomes integrated into your team culture and you replace hesitation with disciplined movement.
Why does this work?
Every timely decision compounds into many cascading decisions that flow from it. The multiplier effect cannot be overstated, which in turn reduces the need for top-down intervention.
When decisions are written down, reviewed, and improved iteratively, teams start thinking in terms of forward direction rather than 100% certainty.
The goal here isn’t reckless speed or decision making for the sake of it. It’s to remove the friction that builds up when every choice waits for perfect information.
Speed matters because it protects forward momentum and focus.
Teams spend less time waiting and more time building. And that benefits everyone.
TL;DR
- Decide at 70% confidence.
- Set decision SLAs (24h / 48h / 5 days).
- Review what’s slowing things down.
