Decisions: How do you make them?

In my working career, I have noticed that many leaders do not always think their decisions through before implementation. The biggest mistake they make is not consulting with the employees to whom the decision will effect. Such action requires engaging the employees in conversation and the decision-making process. It means asking them questions about work flow, time constraints, problems, integration with other departments, and customer care, to name a few. It especially means listening to what others have to say. By including employees in decision-making, the leader will discover critical information that will enable them to make a more effective decision. They will probably even gain buy-in.

Some workplace decisions may require a certain level of confidentiality. In such circumstances, it may be beneficial for a leader to hire an external coach. Coaching can help leaders make more effective decisions by considering unrecognized variables and working through the consequences of different scenarios. If coaching is not an option, here is a tool to get you started in making better decisions.

When I was a child I used to love to draw nature pictures. Most of my pictures had the sun in them. I would draw a circle and then draw straight lines coming out from the edge of the circle all the way around the perimeter (OK, I still draw the sun like that). I want you to grab a piece of paper and draw about eight suns on it. Make the suns fairly large and spread them out. Now, think of a decision you recently made. What action did you decide to take? At the top of the paper write, “If I take this action, how will it effect………” In the middle of each sun, write one of these words or phrases: me, my employees, my department, other departments, the company, customers, vendors, and environment. If you have eight suns, each with one of the eight words of phrases written in it, you are now ready to record your bright ideas. Starting with the ME sun, record on the spokes or straight lines all the ways your plan of action affects you. Then move to the EMPLOYEE sun. Record on the spokes or lines all the ways your plan of action affects your employees. Repeat the process for each sun. Record both the good and bad. There are always two sides to every story. If you need help discovering both sides, engage others in the process to help you. Once you are done with the exercise, read over it and ask yourself some questions. Is your plan of action still as good as you thought it would be? What needs to change? What other actions might be more feasible or cause less damage? How can you make your decision even more effective?

I hope you have a better understanding about the importance of thinking your decisions through. Our actions usually touch others in some way that we may not be aware of. The question becomes: Is your action harmful or beneficial to others? Is your decision selfish or considerate of the greater good?