The Cost of Not Deciding

Your non-decisions are killing your business.

That might sound dramatic. But as someone who has seen the cost of inaction up close, I can tell you it's not.

As our company grew, we needed someone to take on a new role. The problem wasn't just that I hired the wrong person - it was that I wasn't clear about what success in the role would look like. We had no real metrics, no concrete targets. But even with that uncertainty, my gut was telling me something wasn't right.

That feeling started the day after their probation period ended. A knot in my stomach that wouldn't go away.

"Maybe they'll improve with more training..."

"It's not that bad..."

"Finding and onboarding someone new would take so much time..."

Each excuse felt reasonable in the moment. Each day that passed made it harder to take action. Each week that slipped by added to the weight of the non-decision.

Six months later, the real cost became clear. What started as subtle performance issues became impossible to ignore. Team dynamics began to suffer. Projects that should have taken weeks dragged on for months. The impact wasn't just the underperformance of one person - it was the slow erosion of our entire team's effectiveness.

This is how non-decisions kill businesses. Not in one dramatic moment, but in the quiet accumulation of "maybe laters" and "not right nows."

Every postponed conversation, every inefficient process that continues "because that's how we've always done it" - these aren't neutral choices. They're active decisions to let problems grow.

The worst part? The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to act. Non-decisions compound like negative interest on a debt you'll eventually have to pay.

This is a pattern that also plays with product decisions. I experienced it first hand when I worked with one of my previous customers.

We had clear metrics that time - revenue numbers that screamed "this isn't working." But we still found ways to rationalize keeping it alive. "It strengthens the brand," we said, as resources kept trickling into a money-losing venture and as the goal posts kept moving further and further away.

Breaking free from this pattern starts with trusting your instincts and backing them up with data. When that feeling in your stomach tells you something isn't right, write it down. Date it. Then, set clear, measurable targets. If that feeling persists after a week and the numbers aren't improving, it's trying to tell you something important.

Make the hidden costs visible. Track the time your team wastes in unnecessary meetings. Count the workarounds that have become "standard procedure." Put actual numbers on what your non-decisions cost.

Perhaps most importantly, build in time to reflect. Block out space to ask yourself: "What am I avoiding? What decision am I afraid to make? What do the numbers really say?" I even do this for myself every Sunday, which has saved me multiple times both personally and professionally.

The next time you feel that instinct telling you something needs to change, remember: Non-decisions aren't neutral. They're active choices to let problems grow. And all the metrics in the world won't help if you don't act on them.

Your business deserves better than death by a thousand non-decisions.

Make the call.