As a younger leader my mentor John Maxwell would say to me, “Dan you are a good decision-maker, but you are slow at making the decision.” Accumulating experience helped, but there is also a strategy to it. John coached me well.
Other leaders may be tempted to make decisions too quickly. Possibly impulsive or reactionary in nature.
Whatever might hinder you in making good decisions, this post focuses on tried-and-true processing for the best decision possible.
The following is a streamlined outline of what took me some time to learn. I hope this helps you avoid a few skinned knees as you practice making weighty decisions.
The big idea – Decision-making is an essential skill for effective leadership. It’s non-negotiable for making progress in a healthy organization.
It requires little effort to make a quick decision. It takes skill to make a good decision. It requires wisdom to make a decision both swiftly and successfully.
What trips you up in decision-making?
- Insecurities can cause you to procrastinate in making a decision.
- People pleasing often results in the wrong decision.
- Fear can prevent you from making any decision.
Which one might you need to work on?
No leader wants to make a wrong decision, but you can’t avoid risks. You will make mistakes. The goal is to make many more good decisions than bad ones.
The encouraging news is that decision-making is a skill, you can practice and get better at it.
There are three key factors in decision-making.
The process for decisions that can result in significant positive impact or negative consequences must always begin with and continue in prayer.
- Discernment – most significant decisions are nuanced and require wisdom to discern the information correctly. The goal is to make the best decision among all the options before you.
- Timeliness – making the right decision at the right time is a critical factor to successful leadership. You should not rush the process. However, it is advantageous to move as quickly as prudence will allow.
- Courage – It is surprisingly common that a leader knows the right decision but is not willing to pull the trigger. At some point courage is needed to make decisions where you are unsure and there is risk. Start by reviewing all that has been processed and trust that God is with you.
Diagnosing what hinders you from making the decision, start with these two questions:
- Insufficient information – Are you not making the decision because you need more verified facts and curated data?
(the objective component) - Lacking in wisdom – Are you not making the decision because you are not sure what to do?
(the subjective component)
There is a significant difference between needing additional information and having all the information you need, but you still don’t know what to do.
Gathering relevant information is a finite process and can be done with relative speed. It is not necessary to accumulate infinite amounts of data to make a good decision.
Wisdom is different, it’s more subjective, but it’s not elusive. You can have all the information, but still be unsure or unwilling to make the decision. However, when you include your best advisors in thought and prayer, you can gain the wisdom you need.
Insufficient information and a lack of wisdom result in a lack of confidence in decision-making.
Diagnosing with the final question:
3) Summoning the courage – Are you anxious or fearful to make the decision?
At this point it is likely fear or insecurity that hinders or prevents making the decision.
For example:
- Fear of others objecting to your decision
- Insecurity about how others will think about you because of your decision
- Fear that you might be making a mistake
- Insecurity that you might look foolish
When you know you have all the information you need, and your wise counsel gives a green light, make the decision and take action.
It may still not be easy to make a tough decision.
So, let me offer four good questions that are helpful in the final parts of your decision-making process.
4 helpful questions:
1) Does it matter?
I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted on deciding whether a training meeting should be on Saturday morning or Monday night. The pros and cons are nearly endless and often inconsequential. You could probably give an example or two of things you have deliberated on that were just not that important.
Get honest with yourself about the decisions you spend too much time on that are not important. And remember, if you make a decision and no one objects, would do it differently, or gets upset, you just made a decision that doesn’t matter.
2) What are the risks?
Is the risk worth the reward?
Write down the risks you see in play. Are there other alternatives to lessen the risk that still provide the results you want? If not, are you willing to take the risk, yes or no? And write down your reasons. Writing brings clarity.
Any important decision you make has a risk factor. As I’ve said, risk is inescapable. *You can’t make progress without taking risks.
Evaluating the risk involved with making a decision requires the careful consideration of not taking the risk.
Avoiding the risk may seem safer in the moment, but in the long run, it can be harmful for the church.
3) Do you know all that can be known?
- Have you done all your homework?
- Is the research complete?
- What is left that you need to know?
- Can you get this information on your own or do you need help?
- Have you invested think time on your own?
When you know you have enough information, take a moment to make that definitive in your mind. If it’s your decision, it’s time to decide. If it’s a team decision, and you are the team leader, let them know it’s time to make a decision.
You have the information, but don’t have the wisdom, get it from another source. God does not lack in wisdom; it is available if you ask.
4) Does the decision require soak time?
There are a few decisions that even when you have all the information and wisdom, you still need some time to let it marinade. In this case speed must take a back seat to prudence.
My practical advice is that you usually don’t need long to decide. Sometimes a few days, maybe a few weeks, on very rare occasions a few months.
Take the time you need to soak and pray. Make sure you know God’s mind, but your decision is not a mystery to God, and if it’s about His work, He’s not likely to withhold from you.
If it’s an issue of timing, you can still make the decision and put a date on when you activate the decision.
The practical guidance in this post will help you not only know how to process making a decision but also make better decisions with greater confidence.
A more structured organizational approach is also helpful.
There are several sequential models, especially for group decision-making.
There are key elements:
- Evaluate the results.
- Define the problem and desired outcome.
- Gather data and consider multiple solutions.
- Gain an appropriate level of alignment to the best solution.
- Make the decision and take action.
Many years ago I learned that often failing businesses work harder at what was failing rather than making change.
What I have seen in my lifetime reminds me of what I heard a veterinarian tell my dad when I was in high school. He said many people wait until their animal is almost dead before they call him.