Decision Loops

One of the earliest signals of organisational strain is not conflict or failure. It’s repetition.

The same decisions return again and again. Topics resurface in meetings without resolution. Agreements are made, then quietly revisited. What felt settled last month feels open again today. This is a decision loop.

Decision loops often appear reasonable at first. Leaders describe them as being thoughtful, inclusive, or cautious. There’s a desire to get it right, to hear all perspectives, to avoid premature closure.

But over time, something shifts.

Energy drains from the system. Momentum slows. People stop acting decisively because nothing truly feels decided. Work continues, but with hesitation. Progress depends more on informal reassurance than on clear authority. What’s happening is rarely a lack of intelligence or intent. It’s usually a lack of design.

When decision rights are unclear, decisions default back to the safest place: familiarity. The same people are consulted. The same conversations replay. Without explicit ownership, the organisation keeps circling the question, hoping clarity will emerge on its own.

It rarely does.

Decision loops are not about indecision. They are about responsibility without boundaries.

The cost isn’t just time. It’s confidence. People become unsure of what will hold. Effort increases because certainty decreases. Capable people compensate by double-checking, re-confirming, and staying alert just in case.

From the outside, nothing looks broken. From the inside, everything takes more thought than it should.

Decision loops are often tolerated because they don’t feel urgent. They feel familiar. But they are one of the clearest signs that complexity has outpaced structure.

Early attention here isn’t about forcing faster decisions. It’s about clarifying who decides what and allowing decisions to finally rest.