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Management Decisions

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Decisions: The key to good leadership and management

I recently did a coaching session with a manager who was troubled with her mental habit of "Indecision".
She kept putting off making a decision.
As a result, she was late on many projects and feeling stressed.

On reflection, I suspect that this situation is common.

I say this because there are many people who are late on projects and feeling stressed:
So it is possible they may have the same causes.
Upon analysis, the manager and I formulated this eight point action plan to encourage:

  • Accurate quick decisions making

  • Making the decision , not delaying it.
You may delay, but time will not.


Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)

1. Know your goal

You must know the end- state and exactly HOW you will recognise it when you see it.

  • Any decision should directly relate to the means by which you can attain the end state.

  • Any decision that does not lead you closer to your goal is a relative waste of time.

2. Think always on paper

NOT allowing ideas to go round and round in your head.

Many people try to hold too much in their head. The information and options swim round and round causing mental confusion and stress.

  • Get it down in writing and analyse it

  • Draw diagrams

  • Make grids

  • Weigh one option against another on paper

  • Do not allow yourself to go into mental overwhelm

3. Use decision matrix and decision trees

Aid thinking on paper

Learn how to handle decision matrix

There are three types you should learn:

  • The "in what order " decision matrix

  • The "yes or no" type decision matrix

  • The "of these two or more options, which one should we pick" type decision matrix

Research decision matrix on the web.
They are easy to find.
They are easy to do.
Not using them makes life hard.

4. Make a deadline for the decision

Make a decision that you will make a decision!

This is important because it is possible to continue gathering information pertaining to the decision for an eternity.
You can never know all the facts, but there is a temptation to keep putting off the decision until you have "all the facts".
Accept that you must make a decision in the absence of complete knowledge.

By three o clock on Wednesday afternoon I will make the decision to do it or not."

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5. Wrong Decisions

Recognise that putting-off the decision for fear of making a "wrong decision" is itself a major error.
In order to make a right decision you must make a decision.
Not making a decision must eventually lead to failure and pain

6. Drop the idea of right or wrong BEFORE you make the decision

Right and wrong can only be assessed in retrospect.

Replace right or wrong with "reasonable and valid, or not".

You should always be able to say that you decision was guided by reason, given that facts and context at the time: whether or not it later turned out to lead to a favourable or unfavourable outcome.

7. Sleep

Go to bed earlier and SLEEP. Your brain will function better and your stress levels will go down if your brain is rested.

8. Drink water.

Your mental abilities diminish if you are dehydrated.

Decisions

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Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader.


General George S. Patton 1885 1945

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Corporate Coach Group

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Corporate Coach Group

Management Training

The Corporate Coach Group is a management training company whose purpose is:

The presentation of a system that describes successful action to anyone in a management/leadership role, together with the complementary skills necessary to put the theory into practice."

We draw the "system" from five sources:
  1. Philosophy.

  2. Psychology.

  3. Management theory.

  4. Real- life experiences of previous delegates

  5. Observations from business we work with.

Corproate Coach Group's management training courses include:

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Guest Book

  • Jbell77 Oct 12, 2009 @ 9:14 pm | delete
    Truly splendid lens, and i agree with your 8 points. I connected most with point 4 and the importance of meeting deadlines and getting things done no matter the outcome. For me, I sometimes over analyze things and that leads to a sort of a paralysis and inefficiency. To be a true success one must learn to take educated risk and execute them.
  • SisterD Oct 12, 2009 @ 4:08 pm | delete
    I think too many management decisions are based on those facts swimming around in our heads rather than the age old proven method of getting things down on paper so you can look at all of it, in one place, and assess what is the most appropriate decision. Great information.
  • dragonfly4 Oct 12, 2009 @ 10:47 am | delete
    Interesting and informative lens. I noticed not many people make important decisions right away-very sensible. As a procrastinator I appreciate your insights and will follow the emotional consciousness info further. I work extremely hard and then tend to freeze on big decisions when it comes to the crunch so your info and links are very useful. Deadlines are my enemy as I leave a lot to the last minute and wait for panic to set in! I will keep taking your advice to work on this particular weakness!
  • howel Oct 10, 2009 @ 11:19 am | delete
    I have been following some of your lens and each one I find has something for me. In this one, which I find to have a diplomatic way of saying procrastination, the putting of of making a decision is much more wide spread than one would suspect. I believe that an underlying cause of this is fear - and many times the fear is not even recognized or suspected. If a pill could be found, and perhaps the 8 steps are a pill, things would be much different for many people. But then again taking this pill and following the prescription demands a decision.
  • MelMelTay Oct 8, 2009 @ 4:43 pm | delete
    Great Lens. This is another good one for me. I actually am saving this to my faves for future reference. I really need to get better at thinking 'always on paper'. Such good advice. Thanks!
  • Jack_Bergstrand Aug 12, 2009 @ 10:31 pm | delete
    Great lens! You've put together a great collection of useful information and resources here. When you get the chance, I'd love it if you'd stop by my lens on reinventing your business and say hello.
  • griffiths Apr 29, 2009 @ 10:53 am | delete
    great lens - some useful information
  • lindseyjayne Apr 24, 2009 @ 4:30 pm | delete
    An interesting lens. Thanks for sharing this
  • Sylviane_Nuccio Apr 9, 2009 @ 8:44 pm | delete
    Very good information
  • Amitabh1702 Apr 7, 2009 @ 3:49 am | delete
    Welcome to Business management. You will shortly be featured.
    And 5* to you for this wonderful lens.
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by

chrisfarmer

Chris Farmer is the leader of The Corporate Coach Group, who provide UK management training courses, and a publichsed author in Business Coaching. His... more »

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