Decisions, decisions
Decisions, decisions
There are few things more likely to zap motivation than brilliant ideas that never lead to a final decision.
One company I know of asked its staff for ideas to help improve efficiency. At first the ideas flooded in but after a while staff stopped bothering. Why? Because decisions were never made about which ideas to put in to action.
Another company wondered why its employees were lacking in energy and motivation. On closer inspection the answer became clear - the board couldn't decide on a clear set of company objectives, which meant the staff couldn't start working towards a clear vision.
On a personal level, a friend started losing hope of finding her ideal new home after looking for months. It soon became clear than she hadn't really decided what she was looking for, or even whether she really wanted to move.
Where do decisions fit in the process?
Decision-making is a vital part of the transition from ideas to action to change. Without a decision, effective action cannot be taken and without action nothing can change. Imagine if James Dyson had come up with his idea for a bag-less vacuum cleaner but never actually made a prototype or taken it to the market-place. Or how about if the inventor of the wheel thought "something round would definitely be better than something square" but didn't actually tell anyone about it! Change keeps people on their toes, it creates an environment where people believe something can happen, it makes work (and life) interesting. Without the prospect of change people become demotivated and uncreative.
Why is it hard to decide?
If making decisions is so good for motivation, why do we find it so hard to do?
Some common reasons for procrastination are:
- Fear of getting it wrong...and not being able to go back
- Fear of forgetting something important on which the success of the plan rests
- Fear of the unknown (or the need to know every possible permutation of the decision before a final decision can be made)
- Overwhelm - often a big decision creates the need for lots of little decisions which can start to feel overwhelming
- Not feeling it is your decision to make
- The assumption that other people are "risk-takers" or "decision-makers", but you aren't
- Believing you are simply being thorough
- Not being a creative thinker and therefore not having enough ideas to choose from
- Believing you don't have to make a decision - things will just work out
- And many more!
Consider a decision you've been putting off making. What is really stopping you? Be honest and make a list of the reasons you've given yourself for delaying making the final decision.
How to make a decision
If you aren't a natural or experienced decision-maker no "Ten Top Tips" can turn you in to one. Decision-making, like any leadership skill, takes practice to master, and often the support and advice of someone who is particularly good at it.
However, here are Ten Top Tips to get you started!
1. There is no such thing as the wrong decision or the right decision. Unless you can read the future, you'll never be able to guarantee a decision will turn out exactly as you wanted. Instead, accept that you will learn from whatever the outcome of your decision and make a more informed decision next time.
2. Some decisions are more important than others. Take the less important ones more quickly. Take your time and get advice on the more important ones. (One way to decide if a decision is important or not is to ask whether it is reversible. You can move faster on the reversible ones and more slowly on the non-reversible ones).
3. Make notes and keep your notes showing how you came to a particular decision. Making notes will help you think through all the relevant information. Keeping the notes will enable you to go back and remind yourself why you made a particular decision (this can be really important if there are scary times ahead and you need to keep your nerve!).
4. You don't have to make all the decisions at once. Make the big decision first. Then make the little decisions that arise from that big decision as they become relevant.
5. Set a deadline for making the decision. If the decision rests on particular information being considered, create a timetable showing what information is needed, when that information needs to be considered by and when a final decision will be made. Stick to your timetable.
6. There isn't such a thing as "not making a decision". "Not making a decision" is a decision to do nothing. That could be the most dangerous decision of all.
7. Good decision-makers are people who've practiced making decisions. They get used to uncertainty, to sticking their neck out, to taking risks and living with the consequences. You'll get good at it too…once you start!
8. A decision isn't really a decision until you commit to action. If you think you've "decided" but you haven't taken action yet, you need to ask yourself if you've really decided or if you're still leaving your options open.
9. Trust yourself to be able to deal with the consequences of your decision. Always ask yourself "What could go wrong with this plan?" and then trust yourself to handle those obstacles as they arise.
10. Once the decision has been made, don't look back. At every point assess what the right thing is to do at this time. There is no point in telling yourself "We should have made a different decision in the past". Deal with the reality facing you now.
Make a decision now!
There's no time like the present. What decision is waiting to be made? What decision have you been waiting for someone else to make? What decision has been incubating in your head for a while and is now ripe?
