Everyone wants to be in charge until they’re the ones faced with a difficult decision. Whether it’s handling an upset client, bad blood between employees, an inefficient member of your team, or weighing in on a new product or feature – the pressure is on when you’re in charge. Some people freeze up, and this can make the decision process more lengthy and difficult, and even worse – can make you look ill-equipped as a manager. Here are a few steps to work through the next time you’re faced with a difficult decision.
Impact of a Decision or Indecision
Things progress and have an impact whether or not we give our input, so we might as well speak up and have a say in the matter. After all, that’s one of the exciting parts about being a manager, isn’t it? Being able to weigh in on things shows a sense of authority, responsibility, and leadership. When faced with a decision, ask yourself the impact that either choice will have on yourself, your team, and the company.
- Analyze the impact a decision will have both immediate and on the bigger picture. Break this down by employees, clients, and finances if possible.
- Prioritize the decision as to not waste time. Is this something that can be handled by someone else? Can you act as a team to get something done?
- Eliminate non-essential noise and focus only on what matters the most. Every decision will come with the expense of consequences and multiple outcomes that might affect you or the business both ways. What are the important requirements of the company?
- Wear all hats. Analyze the outcomes from different angles. How does this decision affect me if I was the owner of the business? How does this decision affect me if I was a member of the team?
Communication
Maybe your decision has to do with an employee you manage. Perhaps it’s someone whose chronically late, despite all your warnings. Maybe they got into an argument with a coworker and things are tense. These can be especially difficult to navigate because the problem is internal and involves emotions and wellbeing from people on your team. The biggest step to take into consideration for handling office politics and bad apples is clear, concise, and empathetic communication.
Yes, it is a place of business, but we all have emotions and pretending we don’t only lead to a festering of negative emotions. Take the time to assess the situation and if needed, speak to each employee individually who was involved. Know what you are going to say beforehand. Remember, “effective communication is imperative to inspire individuals or the team” (1).
Accountability
In a leadership role, people are looking to you to take accountability. This means how well you own up to your tasks, their completion, and the team you manage. It’s important to stay mindful of your role and that of your team when you’re a part of a bigger organization. If you’re not sure where to begin with taking accountability, take a step back and first define the problem. Layout all of your possible decisions and begin by first eliminating the ones that do not fit. This should help lead you to the most appropriate decision.
- If possible, use performance data to support your decisions
- Is there any evidence to back the decision you’re inclined to make?
- Does the decision fit in line with the business objective?
- Is the decision financially viable?
- Is it possible to get an outside perspective?
- Be honest with yourself
- Are you able to get opinions from employees you trust on the matter?
- Play devil’s advocate before you commit to a decision to think it all the way through
It’s Not Easy
We know making the tough calls isn’t always easy. In fact, Harvard Business Review conducted a decade-long study “of more than 2,700 leaders, 57% [of which] percent of newly appointed executives said that decisions were more complicated and difficult than they expected” (2). A lot of difficult decisions come with risk, and that can oftentimes be an indicator that the decision is important. While it’s never easy to make the wrong decision, don’t let the fear of that happening stop you.
The only way to find out an outcome is to make a decision and see it through. If you make a decision that backfires and it falls to you, take accountability and come up with a plan of action to make it right. What matters at the end of the day is how well you analyze, problem solve, and how quickly and confidently you can come to decisions. And, how well you handle the aftermath of any decision, no matter the outcome.