Everyone Is A Decision Maker in Tech Buying?

As we continue to study the dynamics around tech decisions and interesting pattern is emerging. We are seeing more and more survey respondents who tell us that most, if not all, of the buying team are decision makers.

Its been perplexing. We find ourselves questioning the quality of the data, but deeper introspection shows that the responses are solid. But whether you believe in hierarchy or are big on collaboration, this mindset feels ripe for conflict and contention.

But it also reflects some new norms as the workforce evolves. There is an increased desire and expectation to be able to speak up and be heard. And I think that is at the heart of this. More and more people are of the mindset that everyone has a say. And that may be the root of these declarations about decision makers.

At the same time, someone has to have the final say (and we study this whenever we can). Great decisions have to have an accountable owner. Maybe I'm old school, but they just do. (And after I drafted this, this article from Geoffrey Moore came out - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/managing-change-playbook-mid-level-managers-geoffrey-moore-hjt1c/)

So, how do we deal with this. What we see is buying teams deal with this well when they are united by a clear shared purpose and goal. In that environment, having multiple folks with different perspectives have a big voice in the decision can lead to better results. You look at things in new ways and ideas often get stronger.

But if that shared goal is not present, and everyone is "fighting" for themselves, chaos and conflict reigns.

So, how would I suggest teams with this mindset work best? I think it is important to be clear on goals (obviously), but there also has to be clarity of the roles and expectations for team members. Clarifying where they should focus, investigate, and contribute can help guide better behaviors (being flexible if exploration pushes into other useful areas). But it is also important to be clear on what I'll call "true" decision rights. Who has to say yes. Who can't say no. And who has final say. This can be for both the final decision and mini-decisions along the way.

Decision practices matter but adapting to changing mindsets matter to. Take the right steps to get the most positive impact from this evolution.

The articles in this newsletter do not follow Gartner's standard editorial review. All comments or opinions expressed here are mine and do not represent the views of Gartner, Inc. or its management.