Step Back to Succeed in Decision Making

All of the greatest leaders in world are man-managers. Without exception, they command respect from those who work with them and for them. Some managers may rule with a rod of iron, others with a softer approach, but the key trait consistent in all great leaders is their charisma.

Charisma is defined as “A personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others”.

If you observe how the best managers you have worked for operate, you will undoubtedly find that they have a calmness about them, when others are at panic stations. Whether they realise it or not, they are operating in a fashion that mimics most (if not all) of the greatest leaders of our time. This trait can be learnt, but for some people it is easier to master than others. First, you must remember that all stress is a state of mind. I think I’ll repeat it, just so you get it –

All stress is a state of mind

If you think that you can’t cope – you won’t. It seems that very few people (and very few managers) have mastered the ability of detachment. The way to stay calm while others panic is as easy as this:

S top what you are doing
T hink logically through each option
E stimate the likely outcomes of each option
P lay the probability game – what is the likely option?

B e sure that you have all of the facts – do you need anyone or anything else?
A ccept that you have made the best decision based on the facts you have
C heck with your instinct – does it feel right?
K eep calm and make the decision

The best managers follow this framework and make a decision in seconds. It is like driving a car. Once you have learnt how to, and practiced enough, your subconscious takes over and does the work without you having to consciously go through the routine. You can practice this process on minor decisions, the outcomes of which do not affect you or your company either way. As a supervisor or manager, there will undoubtedly be a time when you will have to make more important, and sometimes instantaneous, decisions. That’s when all of the practicing will pay off. In a former role, I personally applied this structure to an instant decision that could have cost the bank I was working for $750,000, if I was wrong. Based on the facts I had – I made the right decision. If I had panicked, I probably would have made the wrong decision, which, in retrospect, would have been easier to make and implement.

One of the key elements to stepping back is to use your instinct. I have seen many people make decisions based upon data that they KNOW is false or incomplete. They felt pressured to come up with the ‘right’ answer. In many cases the perceived right answer is not always the correct one. If your instinct is telling you something is not right – listen to it, ask it questions, that’s what it is there for. If you don’t feel that the decision is the right one, then you may be missing something. Your instinct will never let you assume anything without giving you some form of warning.

The Internet and email has speeded up response times – customers no longer accept more than 24 hours between their query and its solution. All businesses are constantly evolving. If the company you work for is standing still, it is really going backwards, and it probably won’t be around in five or ten years’ time. When (not if) a big reorganisation of your company takes place, however many months, or years in the future, the workers who will be in demand are those who can stay calm and make decisions, while others around them scream and shout. Managers and supervisors are always looking for people who can accept responsibility. Make sure that one of them is you.

Copyright 2002, Gary Vurnum. All Rights Reserved