Making Up Your Mind

One of the most important things you do as a leader is make decisions. Sometimes you need to make decisions on your own; sometimes you need to lead a group towards making a decision. Developing a competency in both situations is critical to your success.

I remember when I was faced with my first big decision as a new CIO. I needed to put forth my recommendation regarding a major system decision. I kept weighing the choices and just couldn't decide. My boss commented that he had never seen me so indecisive. Ouch. This isn't the kind of thing you want your boss saying about you!

I remember leaving work that day, trying to figure out why I was being so indecisive and it finally came to me. In the past, I had done all of the detailed analysis myself. I now had people working for me and I hadn't learned how to trust their work. It wasn't that I didn't think they had done a quality job; it was just that I hadn't adjusted to my new role of letting go of the detail. This was an important adjustment for me to make.

Not all decisions are data driven. Over the years I've learned to pay attention to my gut feeling, especially when it comes to decisions regarding people. And when I find myself not quite able to decide, I will tell people that I need to sleep on it. I actually run through the decision in my mind right before I fall asleep and inevitably, I wake up knowing exactly what I need to do.

Sometimes the tougher decisions are when you need to get a group to work through a complicated set of issues and come to a decision. It takes both skill and experience to learn how to lead a discussion, making sure different opinions are expressed and considered. You need to establish the right rhythm for these discussions--knowing when to let them continue and when to wrap them up.

Sometimes you can hear the group leaning towards one direction and you can help move the group towards a consensus. Sometimes there may be a complete deadlock and you have to make a call, knowing that half the group won't be happy. Sometimes it is helpful to defer--do more research or have the whole group think it over for a few days.

How do you learn how to do all of this? The best way is through observation. Watch how other leaders handle these types of situations. What works and doesn't work? How are people handled? What is the optimal time for discussion?

Watch and learn. Develop your own style. And avoid anyone calling you indecisive!

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