Decision-making is an every day occurrence for all leaders. They are constantly being asked to evaluate one choice against another often without all the facts or information. Navigating through a very ambiguous set of circumstances is the way of the modern workplace. For some of us, living in the “gray” zone rather than working in a clear cut “black and white” space can create intense stress. Not only does this cause some leaders to make poor decisions but can actually paralyze us to make no decision at all.
Many of the participants in my leadership workshops face imperfect decision-making challenges. The only thing they do know is their team and organization are depending on them to take the plunge one way or another. A decision is on the line and that means taking action.
Six Leadership Decision-Making Dilemmas:
1. Have I Defined The Problem Correctly?
When faced with a decision it is essential to have a clear understanding of what the problem is and isn’t. Take time to analyze what it is that needs to be decided before just jumping to a solution.
To make good decisions leaders need to clearly understand the problem. Share on X2. Do I Have All Or Most Of The Facts?
This initial question is often overlooked when we are rushing to meet the expectations of our customers or team. We don’t stop to think whether we really have enough information to reach a good decision. Leaders need to ask themselves:
- Do I have all the necessary facts to come to an accurate decision?
- Should I be gathering more information?
- What issues do I still feel unclear about?
- What people should I reach out to?
3. Where Should I Look For Additional Data?
The big dilemma of knowing where to obtain more complete background on an issue is key to arriving at a good decision. For example, one leader I worked with preferred to do more of their research online while another set up meetings with people on other teams. Maybe certain analyses need to be conducted. Be creative in identifying where to obtain all the information you need.
4. Who If Anybody Should Be Part of This Decision?
Another critical issue is to recognize whether other individuals should be part of the decision-making process. Some decisions leaders can take care of themselves while others need more voices. Think about:
- Do I need to consult with team members before making the decision?
- Is this decision something I should run by my boss?
- Do I have the complete authority to run with this decision or is it better to include others?
5. What Does My Timeframe Look Like?
As leaders know only too well, decisions often have a deadline that must be honored. We need to be aware of when a decision needs to be reached and keep that in mind throughout our evaluation period. Sometimes that means making a decision without all the facts. We need to just decide which direction to go or choice to make based on limited and possibly ambiguous data. But we have to decide.
6. How Will I Share The Decision?
The final dilemma is deciding how to deliver the decision and identifying the people who need to hear or read it.
- Should I share the decision with senior leaders first?
- Should I set up a status meeting?
- Who may be upset with the decision and should I connect with them one-on-one first?
- Would a written report be helpful in explaining the decision?
What decision- making dilemmas have you faced in your leadership? How did you resolve them?
I can remember when I was promoted to my first VP position. I went from a mix of leading and executing to what felt like making one decision after another. I was responsible for a broad range of areas so often I was asked to make a decision on something I knew little about and did not have first-hand experience with during my career. Your advice here is critical and actionable. The two things that stand out to me the most are the tail end of your first point – take the time to analyze before jumping to a solution. Leaders can feel as if that’s a luxury as opposed to a necessity. The other is your last point – sharing the decision once it’s made. We try to move so fast, that information that’s critical does not always get disseminated well. This is great, Terri. Will definitely share.
Alli
Thanks for sharing your decision-making story and lessons Alli! Although leaders sometimes have tight deadlines when a decision needs to be made, it is always best to analyze the concerns and identify the real problem first. Many leaders have similar experiences to you about having to quickly reach decisions about areas they are unfamiliar. The best bet with those are to find SME’s who are approachable and willing to guide us. We must embrace the thought that we can’t always go it alone and must ask for help.
Thanks Alli for your great additions!
I love black and white solutions and for years, in my naivety, I lived my life like that…in fact, my wedding colors were black and white! Only later did I smarten up enough to realize that life is really lived in shades of grey because there are so few instances of absolutes in the real world. Leadership maturity is being comfortable with the tension that’s created in those grey areas because it allows us to see both sides of an issue, an increasingly rarity in this modern world. Great article, Terri, and a great topic!
I had to laugh about your wedding colors of black and white. It is easier to make decisions when we have all the facts and information but that type of workplace doesn’t exist. I have had to talk myself into making decisions with only 3/4 of the necessary data. Yet those decisions were just fine and prevented me feeling totally paralyzed.
Thanks LaRae for sharing your story of shades of gray!