Decisions

 

Recently I read an interesting perspective on decision making. Consider this…

People think good decision-making is about being right all the time. It’s not. It’s about lowering the cost of being wrong.

When the cost of mistakes is high, we’re paralyzed with fear. When the cost of mistakes is low, we can move fast and adapt.

Make mistakes cheap, not rare.

*Taken from Farnan Street Blog

Leap of Faith

 

It has a little to do with procrastination but also with taking a leap of faith.  It applies to a lot of decisions in life.  You can never be 100% positive about anything.  There is always that small percentage that is a leap of faith.  If we wait until everything is "just right" we will never do anything.  We would never get married, buy houses, have children or change careers.  And, as it says you will gain better tools as you go along.  Don't wait...

“Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” - Napoleon Hill

Leaders Don’t Know Everything

 

Positions and titles can cloud the judgment of leaders.  Often when leaders reach a certain level, they think they are required to have all the answers.  It is like they believe that with the title comes the obligation to answer every question immediately and correctly themselves.  They put undue pressure upon themselves to respond with authority, even when they may not be confident of the answer.

 

Solid leaders know that quality leadership requires a decision-making process.  That process may require time and it may involve other resources.  Good decision making does not come as the result of a title or a position, but is the result of experience, wisdom, and thoughtful processing of the circumstances.  Making the ultimate decision is different from feeling like you must have an immediate answer to every circumstance.  Great leaders are always prepared to step up and make a decision.  But in doing so, they know they don’t have to respond immediately and have all the answers themselves.  They know to consult experts, conduct research, and fully consider all options.  Our responsibility as leaders is to make sound, well thought out and rational decisions, not to simply have an answer.

Just Do It!

 

Yes, it is the Nike slogan, but it is more than that.  I am a renowned procrastinator, just ask anyone on my team (especially my trusted assistant – it drives her crazy)! This MMM should have run three or four weeks ago. I have been talking about getting back out with my Saturday running group since January. I have plenty of logical arguments (excuses) for my delays...

·         One must be 100% confident in their plan to get started, NOT REALLY!

·         Every possible option must be vetted in order to begin, NOPE!

·         The end result must be clearly visible and virtually assured to start a project, NOT EVEN!

We have all heard the phrase “Analysis Paralysis”. It applies to both decision analysis and implementation analysis. Too much analysis kills decision making and hinders implementation. At some point in the process, it is more important to just get started.

Old Chinese Proverb

-          “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is now.”

You don’t have to know how fast it will grow, what it will look like in ten years, or if it will provide the right amount of shade. You just need to plant the tree today so it can start growing.

Just Do It.

Integrity

What does it mean to have integrity?  How would you describe people that you believe have integrity?  The first thought that comes to my mind about integrity is...  Do the right thing even when nobody is looking.  Integrity is not about doing the right thing for someone else.  It is about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do! 

What is the right thing?  Two things to consider when making decision about the right thing to do...

- What would your mother think if you told her your decision?

- Make your decision as if it will be on the front-page news tomorrow.

Keep those thoughts in mind and you will know the right thing to do.  Strive to do the right thing all the time, especially when nobody is looking.

Wet Blanket Feeling

Four months into the pandemic and I have had enough.  We are just now seeing it peak here in Texas and I am so over it.  I feel like there is this wet blanket hanging over all of us.  It is depressing us in ways that we are unaware of and, making it worse, there is no end in sight. It is clouding our future plans and hampering decision making.  The negative impact on our outlook and mental health is something we have never dealt with before.  Sure, we are putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.  We are adapting and surviving. But, I feel like it is just hanging over us and weighing on us more than we know. 

Early in the pandemic one MMM was about the fact that it is okay to not be okay.  As the pandemic drags on and hangs over us, we need to be reminded of that.  There is a reason we may not feel motivated.  There are days we will be in a funk.  Until the COVID-19 wet blanket is gone we will not feel totally normal. 

We must peek out from under the blanket and take positive steps.  Don’t be suffocated by the circumstances.  We don’t know when, but there will be an end to this, and we will get there! 

It’s Okay…

It is okay to not be okay.  These are crazy challenging times.  You would be unique if you were perfectly fine.  Our lives, families, businesses and finances are all being impacted by this virus.  We are in uncharted territory and none of us really know how we are supposed to handle this.  We need to instill hope for our families, employees and organizations.  We know it is important to continue to lead.  We will get through this! 

It is okay to not be okay.  Don’t fret if you feel worried.  Who isn’t somewhat depressed? I know I feel overwhelmed.  Business owners are facing tough decisions. Uncertainty is prevalent and none of this is comfortable.  It is okay to be frustrated, even angry, by these feelings.  You have permission to breakdown occasionally.  A good cry might be a healthy thing.  However, you can’t let it overtake you.  Yes, we need to be strong for our kids, but we don’t have to be strong 100% of the time.  Crawling in a deep dark hole is not an option.  We need to be realistic without constantly succumbing to the negativity.  Acknowledge your feelings; respect the challenge you are facing and get back at it.  Don’t let the negativity overwhelm you.

It is okay to not be okay.

Who’s in Charge?

Sometimes I will walk into my office, a meeting, or even my own home with the somewhat joking greeting of, “Who’s in charge?”  Reactions vary, sometimes I get “You are”, or maybe, “not me”.  Then there is always someone who names another person in the room that is in charge.

I was thinking about this rhetorical question last week.  Who is really in charge?  For many of us it is our God, but on a day to day basis, we are in charge of our lives and the decisions we make.  Our faith, morals and values guide those choices, but we must act upon them. Our daily choices have results and consequences. We decide our attitude for the day.  How positively we impact others is a decision we make.  Individually, each day we choose what we eat, when or if we workout, and like these decisions we all are in control of our own productivity at work and at home.  Every single one of us is in charge.  The answer to the question is, “I am!”   

You are in Charge!

Do the right thing

…even when nobody is looking. The true test of integrity is to do the right thing even when it won’t be seen by others. The right thing is always the right thing.  You know it in your gut. Don’t let the bright light of the public eye, or the darkness of a solitary decision influence what you know to be the right thing. 

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day today, consider this quote attributed to him.

The time is always right to do what is right.

            -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do the right thing, even when nobody is looking.

How do you treat others?

What do you think about when you hear that question?  There are basic considerations like opening doors for others and letting people go first in line.  There are also daily pleasantries like saying “how are you” and “thank you”.  In my mind there is one true measure of how we treat people that ranks above all others; the way we speak to someone.  What we say, and often more importantly, how we say it, is the key to how we treat people.  Our words are powerful.  Our tone can be harmful.  Our decision to talk or listen sends a message. 

Never underestimate the power of the spoken work.  Unfortunately, that spoken word is easy to use in anger and retaliation. It is the first thing we use without thinking when responding to someone.  It can be made hurtful by the words we choose and the tone with which they are said.  However, the spoken word can also be used to lift someone up, to show true love and support, to encourage and to teach.  It can communicate our deepest feelings and share our most private thoughts.  The power is ours.  We make the choice about exactly how to use the power of a spoken word.  How we talk to people is the true barometer of how we treat them. 

So, when you open your mouth today think about how you really treat others?

Integrity

What does it mean to have integrity?  How would you describe people that you believe have integrity?  The first thought that comes to my mind about integrity is...  Do the right thing even when nobody is looking.  Integrity is not about doing the right thing for someone else.  It is about doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do! 

What is the right thing?  Two things to consider when making decision about the right thing to do...

- What would your mother think if you told her your decision?

- Make your decision as if it will be on the front page tomorrow.

Keep those thoughts in mind and you will know the right thing to do.  Strive to do the right thing all the time, especially when nobody is looking.

Know Yourself

“Effective leaders have an acute sense of their own strengths and weaknesses.  They know who they are – and who they are not.  They don’t try to be all things to all people.” 

-       Gallup Management Journal

What a great statement about effective leadership.  It all begins with knowing one’s self.  That means truly, objectively, and critically knowing who you are.  It means knowing enough to know what you don’t know.  It means knowing who you are not, and never will be.  Leaders often feel some pressure to know all the answers, be everything to everybody.  Truly effective leaders know they cannot do that.  They have an understanding of their own weaknesses.  They do not pressure themselves to answer every issue.  That pressure leads to poor decisions and marginal leaders.  Be an effective leader, know yourself!

Leadership

Positions and titles can cloud the judgment of leaders.  Often when leaders reach a certain level, or status, they seem to think they are required to independently have all the answers.  It is like they believe that with the title comes the obligation and ability to answer every question immediately and correctly themselves.  They put undue pressure upon themselves to respond with authority even when they may not be confident of the answer.

Great leaders do not fall trap to this thinking.  They know that quality leadership requires a decision making process.  That process may require time and it may involve other resources.  Good decision making does not come as the result of a title or a position, but is the result of experience, wisdom, and thoughtful processing of the circumstances.  Making the ultimate decision is different from feeling like you must have an immediate answer to every circumstance.  Great leaders are always prepared to step up and make a decision.  But in doing so they know they don’t have to respond immediately and have all of the answers themselves.  They know to consult experts, conduct research and fully consider all options.  Our responsibility as leaders is to make sound, well thought out and rational decisions, not to simply have an answer.