Strategies for Making Decisions and Supporting Your Team

Earlier this week I had a conversation with someone at the beginning of her career journey. She was starting at an unpaid fundraising position first. But doing well at that meant she would have access to the job she wanted.

This led me to think about how we make decisions at work and our careers. Luckily, that's one of the topics we discussed in the Women in Leadership Program! Sometimes you have to take a stand on an issue. It may be personal to you or it may affect your team. When a decision can lead to disagreement, how do you decide to make it? Read what decisions these women had to face and how they chose to approach them.

Nobody likes change

Name: Michelle Carpenter

Throughout the majority of last year, I worked with a small team to implement a new project management software system for both field and office staff. Nobody likes change. It was a struggle to get the key players in the office and head field staff on board.?However, I knew that if I could show them that the software would ultimately save them time, make their jobs easier, and allow for fewer errors moving forward, it would be a win for all.?

Eventually, after time was spent in training and these key players became more comfortable with the software, they bought into it and were able to hype it up to others.?Now, 12-18 months later, everyone is using the software and we have increased productivity with decreased errors!

When you initiate something new, people's reactions are sometimes not directed toward the team, but towards themselves

Name: Christine Clariday

Title: Numeracy Coach

When I first became the Numeracy Coach at our school, we didn't have collaborative planning.?We each planned by ourselves, mostly in our classrooms.?After I started my new role, I realized things needed to be different.?

The new teachers, along with the more seasoned ones, needed to grow in their understanding of pedagogy, curriculum, routines, assessment, and instruction.

But I wasn't sure how to get started.?I didn't know how to get my colleagues on board for utilizing one planning period a week to come together to discuss these important topics.?

The years haven't been easy, but now each team - not just math - comes together once a week to discuss and analyze instruction.?What's more, is that they understand why communication and teamwork are important to enhance student learning.?

When you initiate something people have never done before, their reactions are sometimes not directed toward the team, but towards themselves and other factors they have to work out.?Stay the course, stick to your values, and eventually others will see all the good that comes from working together and jump on board too.

How to deliver bad news

Name: Ann Lundy

Title: Attorney

I had to talk with a client about an issue involving non-compliance that would result in significant process change and expense. We worked hard as a team to understand the issue, explore the root cause of the non-compliance, and develop messaging for the client.?

We developed a strategy that involved delivering the bad news to key stakeholders through several one-on-one calls before the larger group call.?I was proud of our team.

Overcome the "this is the way we've always done it" trap

Name: Delores Carla Ryan, RN BSN

Title: Sr. Clinical Analyst

Not too long ago, we had a very cumbersome workflow that delayed the delivery of work and was quite frustrating to those who utilized it.?

Hoping for a more efficient option, I outlined the exact workflow and where the opportunities most likely lived.?I spoke to peers in other companies that do similar work and asked about their workflow.?Once I had a few options, I spoke to my director and then to my team and presented some alternate options for completing the workflow more efficiently.?

At first, they were unconvinced and trapped in the "this is the way we have always done it" mindset. I scheduled a meeting and walked both through the workflows and two alternates, inviting all to suggest improvements or pose concerns.?We did several demos and even a little head-to-head race.?Finally, the group agreed to pilot the new process, which decreased the overall delivery time by almost 50% on average.

Making decisions comes down to communication

In each of these examples, the women knew that communication was key to successful change. They didn't just talk about how the decision would be best for their teams, but how to communicate that message in a way that resonated. That involved:

• Collecting data and examples
• Onboarding key stakeholders
• Presenting options
• Demonstrations and training
• Trying pilot programs

What decision-making strategies do you use? Let me know in the comments.

This newsletter is part of my Women in Leadership Series where I share advice from the University of Tennessee Knoxville Program

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