101 MAKING DECISIONS
In the business world, sometimes the only bad decision is not making one. With a team looking to its leader for a plan of action in moving ahead or to resolve a crisis, time is always ticking — loudly. Here are three ways managers and executives can call the shots with confidence and exhibit true leadership:
Remember, deciding is not problem solving. Decision making, the experts say, is a decidedly different skill set. “Deciding between vendors, for instance, requires examining historical data, references and prices. But the tipping point often rests with your gut. Which feels like the right choice?” asks Scott Halford in an article at Entrepreneur.com. Decision making can be more about intuition than analysis, he says, and though a decision can solve a problem, not every problem is solved by making a decision.
Consider how other people will be impacted. And apologize if things go wrong. Admitting a mea culpa will earn you more respect and loyalty than if you’re wishy-washy on making decisions. And blindly hoping nothing will go awry may be unrealistic. “Consider how stakeholders will be affected if the decision turns out the way you plan, and how they will be affected if things go wrong,” says an article by David Ingram at SmallBusiness.Chron.com.
Have a Plan B (or two). One of the main steps in making a good decision is to come up with and explore alternatives, says an article at MindTools.com. The site suggests a systematic approach to any decision-making process, and to include alternate options. “By taking an organized approach, you're less likely to miss important factors, and you can build on the approach to make your decisions better and better,” the article states. n
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