Decentralized Decision Making

Decentralizing decision making down through the ranks gives those closest to the action the latitude they need to take advantage of on-the-spot information unavailable to their superiors and exercise initiative without having to wait for approval.

As much as the Egyptians inability to function in the absence of orders contributed to their defeat, a reliance on decentralized decision making contributed to the Israelis success. Colonel Mendler s decision to attack opportunistically at Kuntilla, based on his understanding of unfolding events, exemplifies decentralized decision making. But by no means were this and countless other on-the-spot decisions like it a product of happenstance. Long before the 1967 War began , the Israelis had, through rigorous leadership training, ingrained in their troops a willingness to make decisions in the absence of complete information and an inclination to exercise initiative. More than a positive attribute, initiative was and continues to be a duty among members of the Israeli armed forces.

Shortly after assuming the role of CEO at Continental Airlines in 1994, Gordon Bethune symbolically burned the company s inflexible customer service manual and gave employees considerable latitude to make impromptu decisions regarding customer service. But to align employees individual actions with the organization s overall strategic objectives, he repeatedly emphasized the need to improve in three industry-important metrics: customer satisfaction, lost baggage, and on-time arrivals.

The employees of Continental rose to Bethune s challenge. Take, for example, a flight attendant on a full flight short of meals and needing to make an on-time departure. A predetermined decision, dictated by the customer service manual, may have prescribed closing the doors before the arrival of the necessary number of meals, thereby ensuring an on-time departure . Alternatively, the resourceful flight attendant, possessing on-the-spot information, could offer free drinks to certain business travelers in lieu of a meal. Under this scenario the plane departs on time, an entire planeload of people is happy, no one misses a connection, and no one stays in a hotel at Continental s expense. Collectively, such frontline decisions were a driving force behind Continental s widely heralded turnaround .

Emulating the techniques that the Marines employ to decentralize decision making will enable you to maximize the potential benefits of unleashing the ingenuity of your people while minimizing the risks associated with a lesser degree of control in your organization. Within units Marine leaders establish a baseline of trust with those in their charge, tailor communications with the aim of arming junior leaders with the bigger picture into which their actions fit, and vigilantly supervise the implementation of all directives issued. At the institutional level the Marine Corps formally trains its members to make decisions in the absence of orders and uses technology to share information and therefore improve awareness among dispersed units. And as individuals, all Marines leaders keep in the back of their mind the venerable saying You can delegate authority, but you can never delegate responsibility.