Not a day goes by where you are not faced with making some sort of a decision. Thankfully, most are not of the critical, gut-wrenching kind. But every once in a while, we are faced with a decision that can have far-reaching effects. How well you make that decision can be a career-defining moment. Below are three things to keep in mind when making key decisions.
Who will be impacted? Most decisions lead to change and change occurs much more rapidly if those impacted by the change have had some input early on in the process. List those involved and bring them in on the discussions. Those you ignore will find reasons to resist the change and help to slow your desired result.
Have you done your due diligence? Sometimes in our quest to make a decision and move on, we don’t fully investigate all the facts. Take the time to research, interview and observe what might really be happening before pulling the trigger. Hasty decisions can create problems that can take a long time to fix.
Make the decision. People respect leaders who make decisions. They won’t agree with all of the decisions you make, but they will respect you less if you don’t step up to the plate and take a swing.
In the end, we win some and we lose some. That’s the nature of decisionmaking. But if you involve others, practice due diligence and are willing to pull the trigger, you will enhance your reputation as a leader who isn’t afraid to make the tough call.
With more than 15,000 participants trained, the Manufacturer & Business Association is the leading resource for professional development and computer training in the area. For more information, please contact me at 814/833-3200, 800/815-2660 or dmonaghan@mbausa.org. I also encourage you to visit the Association’s website, www.mbausa.org, to learn more about our upcoming offerings.
