Increase decision velocity. The IT world has shifted from slow “waterfall” methodologies to agile techniques such as “scrums.” At their heart is rapid decision making. Small cross-functional teams work side by side, checking in daily for quick progress updates and problem solving. Teams work to produce something new—such as a product or feature—and test it with end users every one to two weeks. Some even bring end users into the process. This approach can be applied more broadly across a business, with small teams meeting frequently and people from relevant functions actively working together with greater authority to make decisions quickly (no more monthly steering committees). Working at this pace means focusing on fewer objectives and putting in place well-defined controls such as decision rights and risk guidelines. One consumer-technology company, for example, redesigned its process for marketing campaigns to reduce the time from idea generation to launch from six weeks to three. It used a simple one-page strategy brief to ensure that marketers were clear about their objectives from the outset, reducing the temptation to develop overly long strategic compendiums.