--- title: "Daily Buzz: How to Speed Up Decision Making" id: "48666" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-how-to-speed-up-decision-making" published_at: "2019-11-26T00:40:28+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T02:33:21+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/11/26/daily-buzz-how-to-speed-up-decision-making/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/11/26/daily-buzz-how-to-speed-up-decision-making.md" excerpt: "If implementing change takes forever, it might be a sign to revamp your decision-making structure. Also: an example of successful marketing storytelling." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AI" - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "Marketing" - "storytelling" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: How to Speed Up Decision Making Making a big organizational decision comes with a lot of strategic research and, often enough, bureaucracy—which can make the decision-making process lengthy. If your association is looking to make a change faster than the process currently allows, you may need to take a step back and look at the decision-making structure itself. “Does your association have a convoluted ladder that requires decisions get OK’d by top brass? Then it might be time to shake things up,” [says Chelsea Brasted on Association Success (opens in a new tab)](https://www.associationsuccess.org/transform/5-steps-to-making-decisions-faster/) . “Instead, put the power into the hands of the people who actually know the material best.” But beyond structure, you also need to cultivate a culture where teams feel empowered to make decisions. Brasted says that starts with recruiting employees who fit within the environment you’re trying to build. “You wouldn’t want to bring someone into the mix who doesn’t want that a role-based decision making environment,” she says. “It’s about culture fit.” ### A New Approach to Your PSA https://vimeo.com/user42588796/review/371487210/42f2c28ae9 **Marketing is all about driving connection.** But with brand messages and bottom lines in play, sometimes the stories marketers tell are less about the cause than achieving a goal. That’s why the Alzheimer’s Association tried a different approach. In a short film called *A Good Man*, the organization shares the Craddock family’s frustrating experience before Jeff, 51, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. His wife, Elissa, explains the anger and resentment she felt toward what she perceived to be the deterioration of their relationship. For marketers, the film highlights storytelling’s ability to create compelling, successful campaigns. “This isn’t a knock on anyone. But marketers, when they’re in charge, are not necessarily the most adept storytellers,” said director Matt Luem [in an interview with MM&M (opens in a new tab)](https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/media-news/alzheimers-association-short-film-reimagines-the-psa-genre/) . “One of the ways to do some good in the world is to get those stories out there.” ### Other Links of Note **Doing away with snail mail?** *Future Fundraising Now* explains [why direct mail still works (opens in a new tab)](https://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/future-fundraising/2019/11/5-reasons-direct-mail-still-works.html) . **Get a head start on 2020** [with MeetingsNet’s 10-step checklist (opens in a new tab)](https://www.meetingsnet.com/careerlifetravel/get-ready-10-steps-prepare-successful-2020) . **Despite common belief,** innovation benefits from constraints rather than limitless possibilities, [says Harvard Business Review (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2019/11/why-constraints-are-good-for-innovation) . (http://www.fotogestoeber.de/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#AI](https://associationsnow.com/tag/ai/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#storytelling](https://associationsnow.com/tag/storytelling/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [VideoRecap from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 19, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/19/recap-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F11%2F26%2Fdaily-buzz-how-to-speed-up-decision-making%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !