How to Make Decisions
Phil Buckley
Change Management Strategist | Leadership Coach | Speaker | Author of Change on the Run and Change with Confidence
This post's podcast episode is available at?Sounder,?Apple Podcasts,?Google Podcasts,?Stitcher?and?Spotify.
When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.
DO THIS
Choose the best option that leaders support.
BY DOING THIS
–????????Assess the pros and cons of three options.
–???????Select the one that delivers the best outcomes.
–????????Discuss your choice with leaders and make adjustments if required to gain united support.
Your most important change activity is to help leaders make decisions. Showing them the implications of their options will lead to better and more supported choices. Often, decisions must be made quickly, either because there is little time to discuss new information or something has gone wrong. Listing pros and cons is a fast way to review options in the context of your objectives. Identify three options and note the pros and cons of each. Doing nothing may be a good option to assess because it evaluates the speed of action. Choose the option that best moves you toward achieving your goals.
Once you’ve identified the best option, share it with leaders and implement it if you have their support. If not, make modifications until all leaders support it. Sometimes, you’ll need to pivot to another option if they reject your first pick. If this happens, try to build in some elements of your best option to increase the probability of its success.?
领英推荐
KNOWLEDGE BITES
DECISION COMPARISON TOOL:?How will I make a decision?
SUCCESS TIP
Informally (verbally) test your best option with key leaders. You can then incorporate their feedback before formally presenting.
For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the?Making Decisions?podcast episode with board member, breakthrough consultant and executive and team coach?Stephanie Wilkes.
Phil Buckley?is the author of?Change on the Run?and?Change with Confidence, host of the?Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the?Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.
#change #changemanagement #transformation #projectmanagement #leadership #decisionmaking #podcasts?
Phil, I have used a version of the 3 options with Pros and Cons for over 20 years. Very effective tool for decision making. My experience with "the best option is the one leaders support (which always isn't the best option)" is very limited (less than 5% of the time). Most leaders I have worked with tend to support the best option relative to the goals of the organization. So the challenge I have found is developing the most relevant decision criteria for the audience, putting them in a column to the left of your Options/Pros and Cons columns, and then assessing the pros and cons of each option against the most relevant decision criteria (i.e. cost, schedule, legal, strategic relevance, specific organizational hot buttons, etc.). There were times when the option I considered best heading into the decision conversation was different than the one selected. Typically, I learned that I didn't correctly assess the decision criteria, missed key criteria, or over/under-emphasized the importance of one criteria relative to the rest.
Independent Director, Executive Coach, Team Coach, Global Business President, Strategic Business Partner
2 年Phil Buckley It was wonderful to chat with you about change and making decisions during transformations. Thank you !