Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Are Your Employees Skilled Decision-Makers?


Today I was reading an inspired post from a dear friend and colleague on the subject of decision making; particularly making the tough decisions. That post inspired me (as it usually does - we have a collaborative work coming out soon) to write this one.

In general, this blog is all about keeping and gaining a professional edge; being more competent as an individual contributor or manager by doing 1 thing differently - thus the 1% edge. Linda's post  challenged me with a "1 thing": embrace and make tough decisions as an opportunity for growth. 

As I contemplated that challenge, what came to mind was the phrase, "decision-making muscle." (I use the word muscle a lot in my trainings - e.g. emotional muscle in emotional intelligence).

As I've watch young people grow up and recall my own upbringing, what helped in the maturing process was being allowed to make decisions and then be educated by the results.

And this thought brought me to a 1% edge practice in leadership and management. Think for a moment about the decision-making of your staff and consider these questions:
  • How do they do it?
  • Do you let them do it?
  • Do you coach the results or criticize the results (there is a difference)?
  • What's the relationship and advantages between delegating and decision-making?

I believe that decision-making is a great point of staff - professional development. It nurtures competence and trust. Additionally, when we as leaders/managers discuss delegating, perhaps what we're really talking about is trust and decision-making.  Is it possible that we don't delegate because we don't trust the decisions that will be made?

In the broader scheme of things, decision-making is an essential skill to do anything effectively - in life and in business. It is a life-skill!  I discuss that in detail in my book Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed and from a leadership perspective in my article for the Lead Change Group - Power Up Your Leadership Effectiveness With Skilled Decision Making - definitely worth a read).

[Where to access Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed - how to manage your time, space, & priorities, to work smart, get results & be happy -  Kindle - The Book - Nook Audio Book -  The Seminar ]

The philosophy of the 1% edge carries the belief that sustaining success and taking it to the next level is found in the nuances; how managers address and coach the decision-making of their staff is worth considering! Constructively addressing nuances can carry powerful opportunities and results!

Coaching Tip: Take the time to consider the decision-making capability and styles of your team. Is there any coaching that needs to take place?... opportunities for growth? Are you compensating for their lack of and ineffective decision-making?

By the way if your managers are not coaching in this way, then you'll want to bring this training to your organization - Manager as Coach.  The link to follow discusses my unique approach to management training and all topic offerings for developing management competencies: click here

Also, if you feel you need a workshop on decision-making - you'll want to book the creative & innovative thinking topic I offer which includes a section on decision-making - click here to learn more

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This blog is based on this book. In it are actionable ideas on being a better manager: The 1% Edge - The Workbook - Power Strategies to Increase Your Management Effectiveness

1 comment:

  1. Quite a heavy point you've made here. It seems that today's economy hinges on the ability of people to make crucial decisions at critical points of the cycle. It's a rather difficult skill to attain and retain in today's work environment though.

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