Decision making

How Good Are Your Decisions?
So many of us are waking up to our responsibility to Lead Without Title (regardless of our role or station in life.) And brilliant leaders consistently make good decisions. Yet, decision-making is difficult. We never have enough information or time. And the options seem endless. So what do world-class leaders know about decision-making?

You Won't Please Everyone - Basing your decisions on how people will respond is a recipe for disaster. Yes, it is critical to get input. Yes, your stakeholders are important. However, any decision of importance will bother some people. They may lose resources, status or question your abilities. However, you have to focus on whether the choice is right for your organization or business unit first.

Not Choosing is a Choice - Not deciding is a decision. In some cases it may be the right choice. If the issue is not important or you know that you will get more information later then it's a good idea to wait. However, when you don't make a decision you usually avoid taking action. And only action leads to results.

You Probably Won't Get Enough Information - There will always be things you don't know when making a decision. Avoid "analysis paralysis" by setting a deadline for the decision and identifying the information you don't have.

Who Fails Faster Wins - When decisions turn out to be wrong (and some always will) the best leaders learn quickly and keep deciding. Have the discipline to examine your assumptions and find the error in your thinking or execution. See your failures as learning opportunities. And then move on.

Decision Making is a Skill - The only way to get better at decision-making is to learn from every decision. Look in your journal or schedule - look at the decisions you made last year and take the time to reflect. Was your decision well thought out? Was it action oriented? Were your assumptions correct? Only by asking yourself "how can I make this better?" can you master this critical skill.