A Two Step Process for Better Decision-Making
If you're an empowering leader, once the vision is set and expectations are clear, you allow your team to work autonomously. Assembling a highly effective team means that you only get brought in when things get tough. You're the one the team looks to when facing difficult, complex decisions.
So, what's your go-to response when your team says, "We need your help."
In such cases, it's likely the team is hoping for quick action to get back on track. And you, with a full plate, may be tempted to oblige.
Is that, however, the best course of action?
When you face a difficult decision, the survival part of your brain kicks into high gear. You find yourself "judging" the predicament (as fatal or bad) and may seek a quick resolution to reduce fear, frustration or stress. This "judging", however, creates blinders that limit your field of vision and thus your range of options.
With that in mind, here's the two step process for better decision-making:
1. Dial Down Judgment
To do this, stop and take a few deep breaths. This is to shift your survival brain from high gear to neutral. If you find it challenging to get to neutral, delay your decision and create space to practice breathing and other calming techniques so as to expand your field of vision. You're not looking for solutions at this point. You're preparing yourself to make the best decision possible.
2. Dial up Curiosity
With the survival brain in neutral and the blinders removed, you are freed up to access your curiosity. You can ask questions of yourself and the team that elicit a range of options from which to choose to resolve the predicament. Seeing all the opportunities, you can then make the best decision for you, your team and your organization.
Next time your team comes to you to make a difficult decision, try this two step process. I think you'll find that you're regularly making better decisions with more confidence and less second guessing.
Passionate Leadership Pillar #5
Inspired Action
Inspired action follows a strategic analysis of options unencumbered by fear, frustration or stress. In other words, effective decisions, and the accompanying action, require a quieting of the mind and an analysis of options -
in that order.
Note to Self: I can't Dial Up my Curiosity until I Dial Down my Judgment.
About the Author
Gayle Ely is a Leadership Coach, Trainer and Facilitator who believes Passionate Leadership can change the world. She works with business and non-profit leaders and teams to help them perform more effectively so they and their businesses can thrive.
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