Better Decisions - Better Life
Decisions, decisions, decisions. From the aural abuse of a morning alarm to
sliding under the covers at night, each one of us faces a mountain of decisions
every day. Some are reflexive, like blinking and breathing; whereas others are
heart-wrenching and hand-wringing. Both
at home and at work, we’re wrapped in a whirlwind of individual and collective
decision-making scenarios. For instance,
at home, our Shetland Sheepdog (“Sheltie”) named Cheyenne is over 15-years
old. That’s right, 105. She sees only shadows and hears even
less. Her hips regularly give out and
her bladder is even worse. She spends
her time walking gingerly, albeit aimlessly, around the back yard and through
the house. For the past three months,
I’ve been wrestling with the decision of whether to “put-her-down” or let her
pass away naturally? Every day, I speak
to my family, seek input from trusted pet owners, and pray for guidance. By engaging my family in the process, it
alleviates all the pressure from me. It
becomes—as it should—a family decision. So,
as of this moment, Cheyenne lives.
Marcia
Blenko argues that decision effectiveness correlates positively with employee
engagement and organizational performance. How do you think that employee
engagement relates to decision effectiveness?
At work, decisions rain down upon me from the moment I walk
into my office. When I bring up my
email, the rain turns into a storm. Whether
at home or at work, managers and leaders are finding there is great benefit in
obtaining buy-in; and results improve when employees (or family members, as shown
above) are involved in the decision-making process. In the video interview, How Companies Make Better Decisions, Marcia Blenko connects
organizational effectiveness with employee engagement. One would think this is a no-brainer but
unfortunately, there are still many managers of the mindset that they make
decisions and employees execute.
Blenko states clearly that “better decisions equal better
financial results.” Drawing on employee
experience, fostering creativity and innovation, and providing an atmosphere
where employee goals align with organization goals will always outperform a
disjointed workforce operating in isolation. Decision complexity can create a current of
uncertainty. By soliciting the inputs
and valuing the expertise of employees, managers can be better equipped to
steer the organization toward the future with the wisdom to know what
opportunities to embrace and which ones to avoid.
What
are some impediments to good decision making?
Making a decision in a complex and chaotic environment is
reminiscent of the traditional game of “Pick-up Sticks.” The game requires both physical and mental skill. A bundle of ‘sticks’ around 8 inches long are
held in a loose bunch and dropped on a table top, falling in random
disarray. Each player, in turn, must
remove a stick from the pile without disturbing the remaining ones.
Like the game, making good decisions requires both physical
and mental skill as well. Too often
though, like the game, leaders try to make decisions without disturbing other
divisions or work centers. As a result,
inevitably, others are disturbed and conflict ensues. Rather than approach decisions as static,
managers should address the decision from a holistic approach by collaborating
and considering all arenas of the organization.
Some of the primary hurdles to good decisions are the lack
of communication and clarity. Without
all the facts or only possessing half of the information, employees and
managers are ill-equipped to lead and act appropriately. Add to that mix a lack of skill, talent,
commitment, and direction, and managers will spend the bulk of their time
managing chaos, confusion, conflict.
Blenko
suggests that there are four elements of good decisions: quality, speed, yield,
and effort. In your opinion, is there anything missing from this list?
Yes, repetition. In
their book Decisive, Chip and Dan
Heath said, “Much has been written in recent years about intuitive decisions,
which can be surprisingly quick and accurate. But—and this is a critical ‘but’—intuition is
only accurate in domains where it has been carefully trained.” The axiom practice
makes perfect applies in decision making as well. Like the Heath brothers said, “Over time,
routine sharpens you.” By creating a
decision making matrix, a thought process to govern one’s choices and
decisions, individuals can create a default, habitual, and routine system of
critical thinking and analysis. Leaving
decisions to emotions or chance can—and more than likely will—produce
ineffective and inefficient results.
What
can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
This
video and exercise imparts two valuable truths: Create a sound decision making
framework utilizing it for an array of different decisions; and, solicit ideas
and involve employees, friends, and family in the decision making process as
appropriate. While many decisions can be
made “off the cuff,” many—especially those involving work and emotional family
moments—should be filtered through a decision matrix that includes a foundation
of critical thinking parameters. Our
future is created from the decisions we make today. We can no longer leave an uncertain future to
fate and circumstance than we can make decisions in a vacuum. Also, success rises and falls on the
collaboration and commitment of managers and employees working together with a
unified focus. The same rules apply
toward family decisions.
And
finally, in the case of Cheyenne; there is no easy answer. By sharing the weight of the decision, we
grieve together.
Steve
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