Decisions, Decisions

Author : Marilyn Lustgarten
Chances are good that right now there is an opportunity to improve a situation in your organization that requires your decision. Perhaps it is a weighty one, with the potential for business consequences that you'd rather not deal with...so you aren't. You justify the delay with the claim that you need more time, more alternatives to consider, more money or resources before you can take action. The fact is, indecision is a decision…not to act. A wise man once said "If you are already in a hole, it's no use to continue digging." The situation that requires a solution will only get worse and your lack of decisiveness will become your legacy.FAILURE TO ACT CAN RESULT IN THE INCALCULABLE COST OF OPPORTUNITY LOST.Consider Barnes & Noble, who as the world's biggest bookseller, failed to act on the opportunity to tap the marketing potential of the Internet, until they became an "also ran" reacting to the overnight success of industry upstart Amazon.com. Or, put yourself in the picture of watching your most talented contributor hand you his resignation out of frustration to take a job with your fiercest competitor because you put off deciding to fund his idea or implement the solution to your organization's biggest problem.In his book The Paradox of Choice, Swarthmore psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about two general types of decision makers: "satisficers" - those that can determine how much information is enough in order to make the best choice possible and move on; and, "maximizers" - those that must examine every possibility and thoroughly analyze each one before deciding, and then worry about and second guess the decision once it's made." It seems reasonable to imagine that if some choice is good, then more choice is better, but psychologically, that's not true" says Schwartz, "Analysis paralysis sets in. There's a kind of regret when you make a choice." Decision makers that are "maximizers" can worry about the state of things, recognize that something needs to change, and yet avoid making it happen because they don't feel "certain" about their course of action. It makes sense, then, to have "analyzers", as well as "good enough" types in organizations to ensure a balanced approach to decision making.WAITING UNTIL THINGS ARE PERFECT CAN MEAN FAILING TO TAKE THE RISK THAT COULD LEAD TO A POSITIVE OUTCOME OR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.General George Patton once said "A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later." Take the decision by 3M to go ahead with marketing the "failed to stay stuck" glue that has resulted in today's ubiquitous, and indispensable post-it note! Or, consider organizations that encourage and reward employee risk taking as a strategy for growth. One client of mine, for example, consistently uses mistakes to foster a learning environment and has a habit of saying to a manager who makes a bad call, "What did you learn from that experience and how can we apply it to decisions going forward?"The best decision makers are proactive rather than reactive, and those most adept at decision making use different techniques depending on the circumstances.HERE ARE A FEW TIPS:Don't sweat the small stuff: Make on the spot decisions for non-crucial things like what to have for lunch or what time to hold a meeting.Think on your feet: In a true crisis, stay calm, do a fast triage, use your instincts and go with what you've got.Narrow your choices: Quickly whittle the list of possibilities down to 2-3 reasonable options so you can take the time necessary to explore the realistic pros and cons before deciding on more weightier matters like implementing a new organization structure or selecting your successor.Face your fears: Write down the action or decision that is keeping you up at night. By identifying the toughest fears and asking, "What's the worst that can happen?" you should be able to clear the obstacles and see a straight path to the best decision.Ask for help: If you are overanalyzing, get an outsider to help you put things into perspective. If you tend to shoot from the hip, quickly initiate a brief survey or bring the team together to request their honest feedback."Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent and committed decision." --Anthony RobbinsNow, back to the elephant in the room...what are you going to do right now about that situation waiting on your decision?Marilyn Lustgarten, president of The Star Makers Group, is an organizational strategist, coach and advisor to leaders in organizations experiencing the challenges of getting to the next level. Marilyn speaks professionally and is the author of numerous published articles on achieving stellar performance results through effective leadership, innovation and a winning culture. She also publishes For Your Inspiration, an electronic newsletter and resource for business leaders. For more information or to contact her visit http://www.starmakersgroup.com
Category : Self-Improvement:Leadership