Most organisations do not fail because they lack intelligence.

They fail because important decisions drift.

The signs are usually subtle:

– repeated discussion without resolution

– increasing political caution

– “alignment” replacing accountability

– too many options and no clear direction

– delay quietly becoming the risk itself

By the time the issue becomes visible externally, momentum has often already started to erode.

What is Executive Decision Acceleration (EDA)?

Executive Decision Acceleration (EDA) is a specialist advisory engagement used when a decision carries real consequence and is not resolving cleanly.

These are typically situations where:

– timing has become critical

– commercial risk is increasing

– leadership alignment is unclear

– internal advice feels constrained or political

– delay is no longer neutral

EDA is designed to accelerate clarity, alignment and execution.

Why executive decisions stall

Most stalled decisions are not informational problems.

The organisation usually already has:

– data

– analysis

– meetings

– opinions

What is missing is disciplined judgement under pressure.

As complexity increases, organisations often become:

– reactive

– politically cautious

– operationally distracted

This creates drift.

The decision becomes harder to land precisely because it has not been landed.

“Keep flying the aeroplane”

One of the core disciplines in aviation is simple:

Keep flying the aeroplane.

In other words:
maintain operational control while resolving the issue.

The Everglades L1011 accident remains a classic example of what happens when attention narrows onto a relatively minor problem while control of the wider system is lost.

Organisations often behave similarly under pressure.

A leadership issue, acquisition decision, restructuring, or commercial conflict begins consuming disproportionate attention.

The wider organisation starts drifting while the immediate issue dominates focus.

EDA is designed to prevent that.

FIPTDODAR:

Operational decision discipline

Executive Decision Acceleration draws on operational decision disciplines used in high-consequence environments.

One of these is FIPTDODAR:

F – Fly “Keep Flying The Aeroplane”

Maintain operational control.

I – Interrogate

Identify the issue.

P – Plan

Stabilise and sequence the response.

T – Time

Define the decision horizon and cost of delay.

D – Diagnose

Conduct an in-depth analysis of the issue.

O – Options

Generate and test viable paths.

D – Decide

Commit to direction.

A – Act

Execute with ownership and pace.

R – Review

Review outcomes, adapt and learn.

This process helps organisations stabilise situations, accelerate decisions and execute with control.

Human response under pressure: SPACES

Executive decisions do not happen in isolation.

People respond differently under uncertainty, pressure and organisational change.

The SPACES model, developed by Hilary Scarlett, recognises six critical human conditions:

– Self-Esteem

– Purpose

– Autonomy

– Certainty

– Equity

– Social Connection

When these conditions destabilise, decision quality and organisational behaviour often deteriorate.

EDA takes these dynamics seriously.

From decision to execution: PEOPLE and Target Operating Model (TOM)

Good decisions still fail if execution collapses.

The Sixsess Consultancy PEOPLE framework focuses on leadership and organisational execution through:

– People-Centric Leadership

– Empowerment

– Optimisation of people, processes and structure

– Purpose-Driven Vision

– Learning

– Embedding Change

This works alongside Target Operating Model (TOM) alignment and AI-supported strategic modelling through StratNav.

The objective is not simply better decisions

It is:

– faster alignment

– stronger execution

– sustained momentum

– and reduced organisational drift.

The cost of delayed decisions

The cost of a wrong decision is usually visible.

The cost of delayed decisions is often much larger – but harder to see while it is accumulating.

Executive Decision Acceleration exists to address that problem directly.

If the decision you are facing carries real consequence and is not resolving cleanly, direct contact is appropriate.