A surprising number of conflicts are not disagreements at all. They are two people who both believe the decision is theirs to make.
Name the owner
Every meaningful decision should have exactly one owner. Not a committee, not a vague “we” — one name. Others can advise, but one person carries the call and its consequences.
Advice is not a veto
Clarity about decision rights lets people give strong advice without holding the process hostage. You can be heard fully and still not be the one who decides.
Write it down before you need it
The time to agree who decides is before the hard decision, not during it. Once tempers are up, every ambiguity becomes a battleground.