If you’re a manager, you might often find yourself standing at the crossroads of a challenging decision. These pivotal moments come with uncertainty and ambiguity. Dealing with them and making a wise decision, therefore, requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. While there’s no formula for making the perfect call, start by asking yourself a few essential questions. The answers will guide you through a tricky business decision.
How Can Managers Make Tough Decisions?
What Are the Consequences?
Analyze the consequences of each available option. Go beyond traditional cost-benefit analysis, and think about the real-world impact on individuals, including both employees and customers, and the broader context. To do that, it’s helpful to tap a team of trusted advisers, delving into various perspectives and exploring potential short-term and long-term outcomes. When you understand the human dimensions of decisions, you can make more informed ones.
What is the Most Practical Decision?
Another way to view the problem is pragmatically. The world of business is unpredictable, and it’s important to keep in mind what makes the most sense for the most people. There are many different agendas in play, and facing hard decisions requires practical, resilient solutions. Look at the different power dynamics, anticipated obstacles, and various challenges that will come with the decision before pulling the trigger.
Who Are We As a Company?
Step back and consider your decision in terms of organizational values and norms. This perspective can help the decision making process from a more personal choice to a collective one that keeps company principles center stage. By reflecting on shared goals, the decision can become clear as to which path will be best for the organization as a whole and its mission and vision moving forward.
Can I Live With the Decision?
This final question balances out rational analysis with personal conviction. Even if one decision makes sense, if it’s not one you can live with as a leader, then it’s time to look for other possibilities.
In leadership, making tough decisions is inevitable. By asking yourself the questions above first, you can more effectively face tough decision-making, even when there’s incomplete data and ambiguous circumstances.
Need to Hire?
If part of your decision has to do with recruiting and hiring, turn to the professionals at Future Force, Orlando, Florida’s award-winning staffing firm. We can partner with you to create a strategic staffing plan, one customized around your unique business, industry, needs, and challenges. We can make hiring, staffing, and retention so much easier in the year ahead! Find out more about our many staffing solutions.\
