Making an Art Of Decision-Making.

• Position: Brief Article

Who are the best corporate decision-makers? Consulting firm Kepner-Tregoe Inc. of Princeton, NJ., recently developed a list and conducted detailed interviews with key decision-makers at each of the 12 companies selected to determine precisely how they have been able to balance the often-conflicting requirements of speed and quality.

These interviews, the firm says, provided important information about the ways in which these companies have adapted their systems, procedures and technologies -- and how they have prepared their people -- to deal with the ever-increasing demand to move at e-speed. From that, the firm has developed a set of "best practices" that all companies can emulate as they strive to speed up decision making without compromising quality.

When asked, "What key attributes within an organization best support Digital Age decision-making?", the 12 leaders isolated three factors:

1. Speed as a corporate virtue. Kepner-Tregoe says its Decision Leaders have commonly removed layers of approval that slow down decision-making. At Citigroup, vice president and general manager Anthony Iorio says, "We have fostered a decision process that empowers people who, traditionally, not only didn't make decisions but weren't even asked for their input. Today, the people who work for me make decisions that five years ago were made by my boss's boss."

2. A passion for information sharing. On the premise that having the greatest amount of relevant information leads to speedy, quality decisions, Decision Leaders share as much...