It’s Make Your Mind Up Time

WE’VE all heard the expression, ‘I used to be indecisive but now I’m not so sure’. Well, as a business leader, you have to stay on the ball and be decisive over a long period, sizing up situations and reaching a conclusion that is beneficial as effectively as possible. It is no good making decisions in haste if the choice you make could have been better. Good leaders do make good judgments quickly and it is worth considering how best they can be achieved.

Decision-making is about analysing a situation or problem, identifying possible courses of action, weighing them up and then defining what action to take. Don’t look for a bland view as the best decisions are made from conflicting viewpoints. They are not necessarily right or wrong, rather, they are options, where choosing the best one is the preferable outcome.

Remember, disagreements when considering a verdict can make a decision that much more effective. Make decisions faster, avoid procrastination and consider that it is better to make a start in tackling a subject that might be problematic rather than waste time on trivial matters while avoiding the real issue. A challenge will become easier once you have confronted it.

Also, expect the unexpected, as that way you are more mentally prepared to respond to a completely new situation. Think before you act, use your analytical ability to make a swift conclusion. Don’t make assumptions by ignoring the facts that might contradict a case and always learn from the past as that way, you can avoid the possibility of making the same mistake twice.

Be systematic, talk it through with someone who is likely to disagree with your thoughts, although others’ opinions must be obtained quickly. Avoid knee-jerk reactions, if only to pause for a few minutes if possible, while always consider the consequences of the decision being made, to the point where you start from where you mean to end, then work out the steps needed to achieve it.

You don’t have to be former Eurovision Contest winners Bucks Fizz to know that making your mind up – and therefore being decisive – is the best way to be in business.

(Based on an article from How To Be An Even Better Manager)