Modern teams don’t struggle because of a lack of intelligence or effort — they struggle because of blurred decision ownership. Harvard Business Review has long asserted that unclear decision rights undermine performance and fuel friction. A 2021 HBR survey found that most of the conflict that people face at work falls into two categories: personality differences (48%) and disagreements on decisions (41%). In a 2025 PwC survey of technology, media, and telecommunications executives, 33% said that unclear decision ownership is a barrier to making fast strategic decisions, slowing momentum when speed matters most. The problem is clear: when everyone feels responsible, no one is accountable.
To solve this, organizations adopt structured decision frameworks, such as DARCI—an acronym for Driver, Approver, Responsible, Consulted, and Informed. It’s a simple but powerful model:
- Driver – the person moving the decision forward.
- Approver – the one with final authority.
- Responsible – those doing the work.
- Consulted – stakeholders whose input is needed.
- Informed – those who need to know the outcome.
Organizations use DARCI to make complex decisions with clarity and speed. NASA uses responsibility assignment tools to define roles and establish decision authority during mission planning and execution. Clear ownership ensures that even under intense scrutiny and coordination across thousands of contributors, no one is left wondering, “Who decides this?” The Apollo program demonstrates what this clarity can achieve: three astronauts traveling to the moon, two walking on its surface, dozens in Mission Control, and more than 400,000 people aligned behind them.
DARCI's lesson is simple: clarity of responsibility accelerates progress and protects relationships.
Bringing it Home
Families make hundreds of decisions each week—what to eat, how to spend, when to travel, who handles what. Without clarity, even small choices can spark friction. What starts as logistics becomes emotion: one person assumes authority, the other feels excluded.
In families, DARCI could be an interesting tool to try.
- The Driver might be the parent coordinating a move or vacation.
- The Approver could be the family as a whole, agreeing on the final choice.
- The Responsible parties handle the tasks—packing, booking, cooking.
- The Consulted members (often children or elders) share opinions before decisions are made.
- The Informed group stays looped in, avoiding surprises or resentment.
This framework may sound clinical, but it’s deeply human, and the impact is profoundly emotional. Clarity brings calm. When roles are defined, people stop guessing each other’s intentions. A teenager knows their opinion matters (Consulted), even if they don’t have the final say (Approver). A spouse avoids feeling sidelined. Even multigenerational families navigating transitions—like care decisions or estate matters—find that naming roles reduces tension and preserves dignity.
Families don’t need bureaucracy. They need clarity.
A Small Practice
Choose one upcoming family decision—vacation planning, budgeting, or a home project—and assign simple DARCI roles. Who's the Driver? Approver? Responsible? Consulted? Informed? Write it down and revisit the process afterward. Notice how clarity shortens the conversation and lightens the emotional load.
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ George Bernard Shaw</span>
"When families cannot speak clearly, they act out their confusion instead."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Edwin Friedman</span>
