Success On Your Own Terms Newsletter Volume #58, November 2009

Taking a Stand: How Good Are You at Making Decisions?

A small article in The Boston Globe this fall caught my eye. The focus was on the MBA program at Harvard and what sets it apart from other MBA programs. Most people know that Harvard uses a case-method approach, which is one of its distinguishing characteristics, but a quote from the new executive director of MBA admissions, Deirdre Leopold, struck me. She pointed out that most leaders operate in gray areas and that it’s not about the tools they use as much as it as about their ability to assess and judge situations and to be comfortable in the uncertainty of their day-to-day decision-making when they don’t have enough time or information.

As a coach, I’ve found that this ability to make decisions in the moment requires a level of confidence in one’s own knowledge, trust in the information or opinions of key advisors or team members, and the willingness to take risks. From a behavioral-style perspective, some styles need less data than others and can more quickly combine information and intuition to make decisions. These leaders are more willing to take on risk and if a mistake is made, they’ll just correct their course, change their minds, and make a different decision. Some organizational cultures welcome this style of leadership in order to move more quickly in a fast-changing environment. Of course, making decisions too quickly without accurate information and too much risk can wreck havoc on an organization or team.

If you’d like to improve the quality of your judgment and decision-making as a leader, here are some things to consider:

Take the time to define the problem and think through the situation. What’s the heart of the issue, the root cause, and the ultimate outcome you would like?
Make sure you ask the right questions. Leadership is not about immediately knowing all the answers, but knowing which questions to ask.
Have the humility to ask questions with an open mind and listen to the answers. Don’t be so egotistical or biased that you think you know all the answers. Sometimes when doing 360s, I’ll get feedback from others that the leader has already made up his or her mind and the questions are just an empty gesture. Truly listen and consider what others say.
Be aware of how your opinions and attitude influence your decision-making. Are your opinions based in facts or are you making assumptions?
Don’t seek perfection: it doesn’t exist. If your style requires more data and your weakness is a desire for more and more information, remember that you’ll never really have enough, so give yourself a cut-off point at which you must make the decision. Remember that the timeliness of your decision is what can make it right.
Learn to trust your intuition. Some styles take too long to make decisions, so learn to recognize the inner voice that’s warning you and the inner voice that’s just delaying you. Other styles make decisions too quickly, so learn to hold yourself back and allow yourself to “sleep on it.” I really believe the unconscious can be a guide and I often get insight on my issues first thing in the morning, but you need to be conscious of your unconscious messages.
Know yourself well and pay attention to your style. Some leaders thrive in chaos and welcome a fast-paced environment that calls for quick decisions; other styles get more stressed and anxious in these situations. If you start feeling stressed, your brain won’t work as effectively. Under stress your arousal hormones flush your prefrontal cortex (the rational, decision-making part of your brain) and literally freeze it, disabling your ability to think well. Take some time, even if it’s five minutes, to walk away from the decision and calm down. Breathe deeply. Take a quick walk if you need to. Center yourself. Literally clear your brain before you return to making the decision.
Let go of the fear of making a mistake. Examine your history: how many times have your decisions turned out to be wrong? When I ask my clients this, they often realize (in a way that they hadn’t thought about before) that they rarely make big mistakes and that the majority of their day-to-day decisions are on target. Use your experience to bolster your confidence in your judgment.