Remember when you last made a major purchase, like a house or a car. Think back to how you made that decision. Did you research reviews and comparison shop for hours? Did you walk into the showroom or open house and say, “I will take that one” and decide immediately? Did you make a decision, but then talk to others and then update your decision in a different direction? Did you keep your decision quiet and make it on your own, or ask other people you trusted?
 
How you make decisions is unlikely to change, and you are unlikely to change the decision-making preference of your team, your boss, and your peers. The crucial step is understanding. That is where many leaders fail. I created the Decision Dilemma tool to remove the spin and uncertainty that can suck away hours of time and energy. You can download it for free here.
 
Plot yourself on the Decision Dilemma continuum, and then plot where you predict your boss is, along with the cultural norm of your division or company.
 
This is one of my most requested conversations to build into Galvanize Your Team executive workshops that I run. One executive team I am working with last month told me I saved them nine hours each and every week, and for the whole of the executive team of 11 people. That is 5,148 hours a year!
 
Successful leaders are ruthless not just with their own time but also with their team’s time. Regularly ask your team to share how you can help unlock decisions and remove roadblocks to faster decisions further down in your organization. Lead by example and create spontaneous decision points in which you encourage real-time gathering of the relevant people to make decisions that are time sensitive.
 
What are the top ten decision-making tenants in your organization?

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val