Not Making A Decision Is A Decision

1.0 PREAMBLE

We wake up, have a nice breakfast, chat with our loved ones, set to go to the office and face the reality out there – every single day.

Like some says – what makes the world goes around? Is it Love, Sex and Greed?

It’s human nature basically. What have we been thought in school and during childhood are what we live by today.

2.0 NOT MAKING A DECISION IS A DECISION

Coming back to what makes the world goes around. We are human and every seconds or minutes we take actions – be it with action or actionless. How can it be?

We live in a world of space and time dimension. The time moves regardless, and the space as well dissappears over time. To make it easy for readers, we are not going into the relativity or Einstein’s concept here. Be ready to unveal what’s unseen… in your everyday life. Have fun reading.

2.2 THE THEORY OF LIFE ECO SYSTEM

Where do we start? Of course we started our journey in the embryo. We spent 9 months in the embryo before we come out into the real world. That day when we were born is called the birth-day or Day 1 in our life.

What happen next is we learn and learn from observing, listening and watching. We learn how to eat, how to talk, how to walk, and how to run. It continues every day and every year as long as we live – we keep on learning.

So, that’s how we all grew up. So now let us look at our life as an adult. Assume we are working, married, and a few kids. We got a good job, a decent house and a reasonable car to move around.

2.2.1 First Example At Work

Take a scenario whereby you are a manager of a company in advertising. You have 5 staff working under you and a boss. You come to the office and your secretary updates you on what’s going on and says there is a tender which need to be collected in 2 days time. You miss their advertisement last week and now you only have 2 days to collect. You told your secretary you will get back to her on that matter since you are uptight with another proposal now. Maybe this current proposal can last you for your 6 months cashflow if you succeed.

So you continue with your job, work late with your team and goes back home at the wee hours.

At the same moments, your competitor is also busy, but they are busy working on the biggest contract to be awarded to the winner of the tender. They work late and prepare the best proposal to be submitted in 2 weeks time. They had a quick start on it and now more of filling up the gaps and refine the solution.

The next day, you wake up and probably with a bit of sleep, felt a bit dizzy. After breakfast, you start your engine and off you go to the office. Your staffs are also a bit worn out from yesterday.

You came into the office and your secretary greeted you and smile. Then she updates you on daily matters and highlights on the tender which is one day before the last day of collection. Since you are too engrossed with the current proposal, you just acknowledged and proceed with your team on the current proposal.

At the other end, your competitor vigorously continues to finalize the tender proposal. They are wrapping up the solution and now fine tuning the costing and the commercial matters. Only 7 days to go before the submission date. They brain stormed and come to a conclusion on the solution value add. They also completed all the cost elements and commercial. For the next few days it’s more of the cosmetics and rationalization on the cost and commercial.

So, you and your team are still there, cracking up your brains on a one hundred and sixty thousand dollars job instead of the 2 million dollars tender. You work late and you and your team’s energy levels have gone down. So you guys decided just to finish what you started for the next 3 days and submit. After late hours, you all call it a day and went home.

The next day, you get up and with a little bit of sleep, forced yourself to have breakfast and go to work. Well, a brand new day and your secretary are all up to update you with a big smile. Hoping to get an answer, she updated you on the office matters and asked bluntly what shall we do with the tender? Today is the last day to collect. You replied to her “Is it today? Pls get someone to collect the tender ASAP”. So now, you’re talking and your secretary finally got the answer after three attempts. She instructed the office boy to quickly collect the tender and make necessary copies for you and the team to read.

At the other end, your competitor is all well and about to finish up their proposal. The final touch up just took them a few hours to complete. The costing are already firmed and now more of tightening the loose ends. They got home early and the next day continue the final checking and touch up.

But, you and your team are only finishing up the one hundred and sixty thousand dollar proposal by tomorrow. By end of that day, everyone got a copy of the tender and it stays there on their table until the next day after the current proposal submitted.

The following day, you and your team felt a bit of relief since you are about to finalize the current proposal. You go through each item and endorsed it for submission. Its already lunch time and you and your team are so consumed for the past few days. You decided to tell your team, let us take an early break today after lunch and we start working on the tender first thing tomorrow morning. Wow, that’s a big decision for all of you. That’s an early break before the next round of proposal. So, after lunch, you all wrap up the work and then head on home early for some rest.

Rise and shine, with a good rest, you jump into your car and head on to the office. You met up your ever smiling secretary and go through the daily tasks. Enthusiastically, you ask her when is the closing date? She says in 4 days time. You raise your tone to that surprise, “Only 4 days? Why didn’t you tell me?” So now it’s the finger pointing game. Softly she replied, “I told you a week ago the deadline. I repeatedly ask you about the tender every day, but still I don’t have any answer until yesterday.” Well no point harping on it, since silence is golden. So, you immediately instructed her, “Call everyone for a meeting in my room ASAP”. There you go, another big decision after a few days of silence.

Everyone sits in with the tender document on their hands. You start asking if anyone has read the tender? None actually have read it. So, you give your team a deadline to read it by lunch time and discuss with you what to submit. Come lunch time, you all meet again. Everyone was baffled as to how to complete it in such a short notice. The tender has huge requirements and the cost may be 15 times more than your previous proposal. Everyone seems to be waiting for your words of wisdom in the boardroom. Some may ask in their heart, “Can he do magic? I do need them now”.

After a few minutes of silence, you broke it by saying “I know what you guys are thinking. I have the same questions as well. Can we do it in such a short notice? Is it worth doing a half cooked proposal? It will be suicidal. Why did we miss it?” So to answer those, you regretfully said “It’s my fault and I have overlooked the situation. My apology goes to everyone that we have to forego this tender”. There goes the final decision. Is it still hard to make decision?

At the other end, your competitor has already wrapped their proposal up and they are ready for submission tomorrow. Only time will tell if they will win the tender that will lasts the company for the next 2 years cashflow.

2.2.2 What Do You Learn From First Example?

What do learn from this scenario? Does the manager make the decision everyday when the question crops up? The answer is Yes – it’s actionless decision.

From the first time the tender was out, she did inform the manager that the tender is out. Since the respond is silence, she made the assumption that the reply is to KIV. So the next day she informed him until the last 6 days. Continuous silent responses from the manager which she took it as a KIV reply.

The time passes thru us regardless we are taking action or not. As the time passes, various events occur on the other side. Every actions and decisions that we made at that time, determine what events occur on all sides. Your daily routine may change based on the decision. Your competitiors routine may also change if your decision is big enough to cause impact to the industry. For example, if they know you collected the tender and you are one of the major players in the industry, then they may change their strategy and also work on the commercial to be more competitive.

One decision changes many things; the routine of everyone’s involved - your team, your secretary, your competitor’s team, everyone’s family – since you may change your work pattern due to this, and probably the industry perspectives. That’s the life eco system which may seem workaday but yet has strong impacts to all.

2.2.3 Second Example - The Staff Request a Pay Rise.

You probably do not face that tender situation often. But most companies have to deal with staff issues quite often. And I believe this example may relate to most of us.

Assume you have an executive who have been working there for 3 years. He has been very diligent and met his work target. One day, he goes to your office and starts updating you and at the end of the session asks if he can get a pay rise this year. You acknowledge his request and say that you will look into it.

A month later, he updates you with his comprehensive presentation on the tasks and at the end of the session he asks you again about the pay rise. You still acknowledge his request but say “I was pre-occupied last month and I do take note of your request. I will look into it very very soon.”

A week later the executive starts thinking, since that is the second time he asks for the pay rise, he said “why don’t I start look around for a better offer.” He started to apply and have some positive feedback from a few employers.

The following week, you have another session with your executive. He showed a tremendous report on the tasks. You are so impressed and gave him a big pat at the back. But this time around you are quite surprise that he just got up and ready to leave. Then you ask him to wait and said “I have been considering about your pay rise. I am sorry to take a long time to get back to you. We have decided to give you a pay rise next year.” The executive just smile and said “Thank you for your consideration Sir. Let me get back to you on that if I am still keen.”

Sssmmaackkk... What a big surprise you have. So will he take it or not? The ball is on the executive's court. Now, who is in control?

2.2.4 What Do You Learn From Second Example?

Remember all managers; your decision is key in your daily work.
It determines whether you are in control or not, whether you are conscious, a good listener or a decisive person.

In this case, for you to not make that decision is being interpreted as:
1. You disagree,
2. You put it as KIV,
3. You are buying time before you disagree.

The executive never think that you agree with his request. Why? This is how people think when “No Decision” is taken. So, they make the decision on behalf of you which is the first point stated above.

So remember – silence or No Decision means – “Disagree”. Because most people if they agree, they would say it out loud instead. 

2.3 WHY TIME MATTERS?

Coming back to the life eco-system, you can see that one decision can affect many things and many parties.

The time for you to make the decision is important. When you let the time passes, many events shall occur. The event may be good or bad to you, it may also affect you, your company, your team, your industry, your competition, and many more.

The events may vary depends on the time you make the decision. Even if it takes a few seconds or a few minutes or a few hours, the consequences would differ.

So who is in control of your time? It is you.
Who is in control of your decision? It is you.
Who is in control of your life? It is you.

3.0 CONCLUSION

This is a very interesting topic to debate and it happens to all of us everyday and every moment. Be it in your work, in your family or in your neighbourhood, you will have to face the fact that you need to make decision on something. Being silent is your decision as well.

There are a few ways to take actions:
1. In your heart (this is the weakest action and would lead to this situation unless you convey it clearly),
2. In writing or words – be it on social media or letters or any other means, or
3. By physical actions.

Be in control since the life eco system depended on you.