Majority, Unanimity or Creator Decides: Pick a Rule
The rule for deciding matters as much as the options. Agree it before anyone votes, or the result gets argued after. Settle (settle.ink) is a group decision app. Settle for Teams is its version for agencies and consultancies: each stakeholder gets a private link, Settle reminds the people who haven't answered, and the decision closes at a deadline with a timestamped record.
Last updated: 28 October 2026
Majority
The option that more than half of the invited people approve wins. Use it when you need momentum and any reasonable option is acceptable: a shortlist of venues, a meeting slot, a campaign tagline from three good candidates.
Watch for: a majority of the invited group, not of the people who answered. In Settle for Teams, majority settles if more than half of the invited stakeholders approve an option, and people who don't respond don't block a clear majority.
Unanimity
Every invited person must agree. Use it when anyone left out could block the work later: a budget, a final creative direction, a contract change, anything that needs every signatory.
Watch for: one silent person stalls everything. In Settle for Teams, an unanswered invite under unanimity keeps the decision open until the deadline, and then it escalates.
Creator decides
The people asked give their view, and the owner of the decision makes the call. Use it when input matters but accountability sits with one person: a product owner, a client lead, an account director.
Watch for: it only works if everyone knew in advance that this was consultation, not a vote.
When the rule isn't met
Decide this up front too. A decision that drifts past its deadline is worse than one that escalates on time. In Settle for Teams, every decision ends in one of two states: Settled, when the rule was met by the deadline, or Escalated, when it was not. Both get a timestamped record, so an escalation is a clear handover rather than silence.
A quick chooser
- Speed matters and options are all acceptable: majority.
- Anyone could block it later: unanimity.
- One person is accountable and wants input: creator decides.
For the full process around the rule, read the client approval template, or see how Settle for Teams works.
Questions
Should a client decision use majority or unanimity?
Use majority when you need momentum and any reasonable option is acceptable. Use unanimity when every stakeholder can block the work later, such as a budget or a final creative. Decide the rule before anyone votes.
What is a decision rule?
The agreed way an answer is reached, such as majority, unanimity or the owner deciding after input. Agreeing it in advance stops the result from being argued afterwards.
What is the difference between Settled and Escalated?
Settled means the decision rule was met by the deadline. Escalated means it wasn't, for example no majority or unanimity not reached. Both produce a timestamped record.