Decide, Debate, or Delegate?

In every organization, someone needs to ask this question. Should I decide, debate, or delegate?

Over and over again, I have been in meetings that could have lasted half as long if there was a clear differentiation between decisions to be made by the leader and decisions that needed to be discussed and debated.

Most often, we make too many points debates that should be delegated or decided; but it’s just as possible to have a leader make decisions that merited discussion.

In either case, the result is frustration from the meeting attendees, either because they have opinions that aren’t heard or because their most precious resources is being misused: time.

As you make your meeting agenda, mark down for every single item: is this a decide (and inform), a simple delegate, or a debate? If you don’t know, then you need more time before it goes on the agenda.