Zapproved Blog

We have seen countless examples of decisions being done faster, easier and more accountably since we started Zapproved. However, using Zapproved alone isn’t a panacea for overcoming this difficult problem in business. Getting people to make decisions is still an art.

Here are three tips to smooth the road for your next proposal:

1. Deal with one item at a time — Nothing sidetracks a discussion more than talking about multiple issues in a single Zapproved proposal. People might agree with one part but not with another, so be careful to make sure you don’t confuse multiple ideas.

2. Use actionable language so others understand what clicking “approve” means — You have to be sure that the reader will know what clicking approval will mean in terms of action. It is too easy to focus on the problem you are describing and not be clear about what exact action you are proposing and what “approve” means. Don’t worry about being very explicit. Saying something like “If you approve this proposal, we will go forward with the product launch on January 3, 2009” will suffice.

3. Send only to approvers whose objection would stop you from moving forward — Giving some thought to who actually needs to approve a decision can be the best way to make things go faster. Liberal use of the Viewers field (similar to a cc) is recommended to keep all the stakeholders in the loop. If you would consider moving forward without an approval from someone – put them on the viewers list. This enables them to comment and influence the decision, but they won’t be able to shut you down.

By giving a little thought before sending a proposal in Zapproved, you will get your decisions completed even sooner and your manager and colleagues will appreciate how you are making their lives easier.

Do you have any additional tips that you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!