Leaders like to think they are in charge of decision making. In reality, many times they are just reacting, instead of choosing. Better decision making requires you to open a space between action and reaction. A space in which you can focus. This is one secret that leaders tend to ignore at their peril.
The Latin root of the word "decision" — cis — literally means "to cut." In order to make good decisions, you need to be ruthless in cutting out, saying no, to hundreds of possibilities. Then you will have carved out a space where you can pause, and focus on the important decision you have to make. And once you are considering a specific decision, you again have to take time to cut away through all the possibilities to arrive at the best decision.
Steve Jobs said in an interview with Betsy Morris in 2008,
"People think focus means saying 'yes' to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying 'no' to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things we have done."
What do you need to cut out?
You can’t do it all. You can’t have it all. You can’t be in total control of everything. You need to “pick carefully” what you are going to focus on. What do you need to cut to have the time to pause? Only you can know what you need to cut. However, here is a list of some things other leaders have felt they needed to cut to get you started:
- the constant bombardment of electronics. Limit them to specific times.
- attending too many meetings. Go only to those that really need your input.
- micro-management. Empower others and be willing to accept their decisions.
- speaking too much. Speak clearly to be understood, but don’t talk too much. Take time to listen and question too.
The idea is to build the space in your day, and the neuropathways in your brain, to pause, to momentarily disengage your automatic reactions, your habitual ways of acting and reacting. Then take the time to evaluate your choices alone and with others.
A wood carver keeps cutting away until his work becomes a piece of art. When you cut out unnecessary things, you carve out time to pause, think, analyze. That's how your decision making can become an art. That’s the secret to wiser decision making: Take the time!
Why you should take time
Even when you need to make a fast decision, you need to take some time to analyze, or you will just react and miss something. Even if in real time it is only a few minutes, the most important thing is to open the space in your brain to give focused attention to the issue at hand without distractions.
Poor decisions often come from your own internal need to make a decision right away. By allowing yourself to assess the available relevant data, determine decision options and probable outcomes, and determine the significance of a decision within a larger context, you can make wiser decisions. You can also be more effective in determining which situations need your attention and which ones can or should be deferred or ignored.
Take time for:
- Becoming aware of common “blind spots” and consider them.
- Clarifying and framing the viewpoint from which to look at the decision you are making will define which options you will look at.
- Seeking enough information. Gather intelligence about what you know and don’t know related to the decision.
- Systematically thinking through the options and coming to conclusions.
- Getting feedback. Take time to review what worked in your decision and what didn’t. This will help you improve over time your decision-making process. Otherwise, you’ll keep making the same mistakes.
Remember. . .
Take the time for decision making. By becoming aware of your thought processes, areas of potential biases, and focusing on the most important issues, you will make wiser decisions. Therefore,
Take the Time!
Photo by: Freddy The Boy and Stephen A. Wolfe