Making decisions has been an occupational hazard in most of my career choices, and frequently the choices were between outcomes that were going to upset different groups of people, irrespective of the choice. Not making a decision was not an option, so it was just a case of getting on and trying to minimize the negativity surrounding the decisions being made, and in the process I learned much about how to get people to accept tough decisions – usually through the mistakes I made in the process.
So when I recently came across an interesting article in HBR Online (read it here) about how to get people to accept tough decisions, I was quick to read it, and to lament not having had the benefit of it many years ago. David Maxwell, the author, refers to the observations of Alexander George, who studies US presidential decision-making, and noted two particular features of their processes:
- Uncertainty: Presidents never have the time or resources to fully understand all of the implications their decisions will have, and
- “Value Complexity”: the term used to explain that even the “best” decisions will harm some people and undermines values leaders would prefer to support.
The consequences of these two factors are that people “…dither, delay, and defer, when we need to act”.
To combat these paralyzing conditions, Maxwell explores both the issues and then suggests some things that can be done to minimize their impacts. I’ll leave you to read more about the issues, but below I summarize the mitigating strategies you can employ:
Overcoming Uncertainty:
- Assess the situation
- Don’t get stuck
- Add others’ perspectives
- Try a test run
- Take a step
Overcoming Value Complexity:
- Make your intentions clear
- Mitigate or compensate for the harm
- Minimize the maximum harm
- Recognize sacrifices
Again, the article expands on these points, and it is well worth reading in its entirety (it is about a 2 minute read).
Tough decisions need to be made, whether in the employment or personal context, and having some understanding of what is going on and how to mitigate the impact is very valuable. And the Avondale Business School (ABS) is eager to assist you in whatever way we can to help build your leadership and business. Simply email [email protected] or call on 02 4980 2168.