Decsions, Decisions, Decisions
People who work with me will tell you I am quick to grab a metaphor to underline a point; from nature, from cooking, from almost anywhere. Including driving.
You know when you are driving and need to turn across an oncoming lane of traffic ? And there is someone approaching at such a distance that is open to interpretation as to who of you goes first? Do you cross in front of the oncoming vehicle? Or stop and let them pass? Haven't we all been in these places of uncertainty when driving, an uncertainty that must be resolved into a smart, safe and timely decision?
So, this is a moment when decisiveness counts. The driver who is turning needs to decide quickly and take the turn at an appropriately brisk pace. Or not. The driver who sees the vehicle wanting to turn needs to decide as well, do I want them to go? Or do I want them to stay and let me pass?
Decisive is defined by Oxford Dictionaries via Google as 'settling an issue, producing a definite result' (emphasis theirs). Decisiveness counts often in business, any kind of business. And it is worth learning how to make decisive decisions.
If you are an owner/entreprpenuer and find yourself questioning your own decisions, see if any of these tools help:
Assess the current situation. Are you being rigorous in your search for understanding and inviting input from all relevant parties regardless of status or rank? What judgements or pre-conceived notions might be obscuring your view?
Be realistic about the level of urgency; who's expressing urgency and why? What is your obligation to take on their level of urgency? Where is your level of urgency in comparison to others?
What fresh ideas can you bring to the situation? Make sure to let your mind work creatively first, before acknowledging any limitations or constraints. What we call 'no bazookas'.
What are your objective(s) are in this situation? If you are not sure, stop a minute and figure this out. Then, give a quick stress test . Is your objective in this immediate situation in alignment with your enterprise mission and vision?
I am inviting you to practice this exercise with your decision-making for a while and let me know how it goes. I will update this post with additional suggestions and input as I hear from you.
Back to our drivers for a moment. After that decisive decision comes the next key action; communication. Check back for that post soon.