Feeling overwhelmed by too many daily decisions? Aren’t we all! Sometimes it’s tempting to just make a decision, any decision, so you can get onto the next . . decision. That may be okay for routine tasks and choices. But some decisions require more time − time we don’t think we have. When we act out of impatience on these items, the consequences can be significant.
Think about that meeting where you forced your opinions on everyone else just so a decision could be made. You knew it required more time, but you had two more meetings coming up. They reluctantly went along . . and have probably begun to wonder about your skills as a leader.
How about that conversation you had with the boss? She seemed genuinely interested in your input. But she interrupted you in the midst of a busy day. While you weren’t disrespectful, you squandered an opportunity to connect with her at a more meaningful level.
Then there’s that customer call yesterday. He was upset and you refunded his money out of impatience just to get him off the phone. In retrospect, he just wanted to be heard. Taking a few minutes to listen would have deepened a long-time sales relationship. It would have also saved you $200. Instead, you blew him off.
So, how can you manage your impatience to get things done with the time it takes to make smart decisions? As I interview effective decision makers for my new book, this is what I find them doing:
They take a step back and prioritize. Not all decisions are created equal, but the urgent always seem to demand more attention than deserved. The most effective decision makers take a few seconds to evaluate whether these pressing issues merit their attention. Sure, there’s the temptation to just take a few minutes and get it over with. But that can lead to the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Before they know it, half the morning and half their energy is gone. Instead, they dismiss these issues and focus on the decisions that really require contemplation and consideration. When the important decisions are made then there’s time to deal with the urgent. In many cases, those will have resolved themselves. Making decisions is always more focused when you don’t feel rushed.
They delegate the research and prep to others. Over the past twenty years, we have all found ourselves performing work that used to be the domain of assistants. We type our own letters. We answer our own phones. We do our own research. But the best decision makers don’t. They have developed ways to delegate the responsibilities for prep and research to someone else. This accomplishes three things – 1) It saves them time for reflection and focus. 2) It provides them with an additional perspective. 3) It provides them with a chance to observe the person’s work ethic and resourcefulness. Don’t have an in-house person you can tap? Call the local college. Post an internship on Facebook. Hire a researcher from E-Lance, Upwork or another on-line freelancer site.
They consider the consequences three, four, and five steps removed. Decisions don’t have right and wrong answers. They have outcomes. In almost every case, those outcomes involve other people. Those I’ve interviewed have mentioned that they deliberately take time to consider the far-reaching impacts of significant decisions. Having been burned by impatience in the past, letting these problems percolate before acting has paid off time and again.
Obviously, there are more considerations than these. I’ll get to those in future posts.