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Episode 6: Making Decisions Without Leaving People Behind

The Employee Help Desk with Susan Mahaffee

Release Date: 07/16/2025

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When your business or nonprofit grows, the way decisions get made can’t stay the same—but shifting from group input to clearer leadership calls isn’t always easy.

People get left out. Feelings get hurt. And if you’re not careful, things start falling through the cracks.

In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly how to lead that shift without losing trust—and how tools like RACI charts can help clarify who does what, when, and why. Whether you’re running a growing team or building better processes, this is essential listening for every small business and nonprofit leader.


This episode was inspired by a real question submitted through our podcast question form.

If you’ve got a leadership or people challenge on your mind, we’d love to hear from you.
👉 Submit your question here: Podcast Question Form

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

  • Why decision-making feels harder as your team grows

  • How to talk to your team about changing decision processes without creating tension

  • Three simple strategies to still gather input without bogging things down

  • How to use a RACI chart to define roles, reduce confusion, and balance workloads

✅ Key Takeaways:

The 3 Smart Strategies for Leading the Shift:

  • Build Listening Loops: Create structured moments for feedback without decision-by-committee chaos.

  • Be Clear About Who Decides: Say who owns the final call, both before and after.

  • Invite Feedback After the Fact: Keep the door open for input, without reopening the whole decision.

Why RACI Charts Work:

  • Force real clarity around roles

  • Reduce confusion and duplicated work

  • Protect against things slipping through the cracks as your team grows

🔥 Powerful Language for Leading the Shift:

“We used to make decisions together because that worked when we were small. But now, we’ve reached a size where that’s slowing us down. We’re evolving—not excluding.”

“We’re preparing to make a final decision by Friday. If there’s anything you think we’re missing, please share by Wednesday.”

“This decision will be made by the leadership team. We’re gathering input now, then finalizing on Tuesday.”

💬 Bottom Line:

Growing your team means growing your leadership. And that means learning how to balance structure with inclusion, clarity with flexibility.

Your people want to know where they stand.
They want to know their input still matters—even if they’re not in the final decision room anymore.

The key is making that shift with intention—so your team feels informed, respected, and clear on what’s next.

Links & Resources:

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who’s figuring out the people-side of work—just like you.

📲 Follow & Connect:

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who’s figuring out the people-side of work—just like you.