In the ideal situation the only time the event manager needs to make decisions it when there is a problem that the units can not manage. This is often called management by exception. That is when the problem goes beyond a certain threshold of importance and the skills and resources of the team or supplier are unable to solve it. The event manager is always looking for 'early warning'' devices to indicate the presence of a problem. As time is always the master, just looking for a solution to a problem is a difficulty and will take away time for other tasks.
Many event managers talk about a 'gut feeling' of a problem about to happen.
However on closer questioning, this feeling is a result of some trigger. Below is a list of those triggers. They may be subtle but they indicate a problem growing in the background. This is an indicator of lack of a communication plan or proper responsibility list. No returning phone calls or emails Often if there is a problem the staff or supplier will hope that it will be solved before they have to tell the event manager.