The Broad Perspective
“The chief cause of failure is that one trades what one wants most for what one wants at the moment.” – Zig Ziglar.
What does it mean to have a broader perspective? It means to take everything into account – the pros, the cons, the beautiful, the ugly, the losses and the profits – before making decisions. Team leaders make decisions every day, whether on the spur of the moment or with ample time.
Often, poor decisions are made when we do not see all the parts and how they are or can be affected by the decisions we make. Leaders and their teams must make trade-offs in decision-making because no one can have the ideal situation in every circumstance. Decisions may not favor every department or team. However, considerations should be made so that decision-making accounts for as many factors as possible, organization-wide. Despite all the planning, team leaders must still bear in mind that decision-making may be iterative, and so the approach should be to refine.
Consider:
The Big Picture
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren Bennis.
Count it all as you consider the big picture. Lay out all the pieces of the puzzle so everything can be clearly conceptualized and visualized. It is helpful to create not just a mental picture, but also a visual one. A visual representation of a problem breaks down complexities into simpler modules for analysis and comprehension. Leaders should model how all the pieces come together to drive an organization’s agenda. When teammates can follow the model set by their leaders, it is easier for them to do the same. The advantage of leaders is that they get to experience the practical bottlenecks and challenges firsthand. This certainly feeds into better decision-making.
Desired Outcomes
Consider the desired outcomes. It is imperative that a team lead/manager explicitly shares the vision of desired outcomes so that everyone who has input to share has a clear picture of how their contributions feed into the bigger picture for the organization.
Meaningful Trade-Offs
Business leaders need to consider trade-offs when making decisions to ensure the outcome serves the interests of the business and its stakeholders. Meaningful trade-offs include celebrating the wins, mourning your losses, and moving on.
Seeking Guidance through Coaching and Mentoring
It is understood that effective leaders have a professional coach they catch up with periodically. The benefits of having a coach cannot be underscored. A coach provides a coachee (the person being coached) with the opportunity to work toward solutions to challenges they may be facing. Coaching training allows them to identify blind spots and biases, among other things. Their training allows them to gradually draw your attention to what matters most, so you can think up solutions on your own.
Remaining Accountable
Accountability enables consistent progress towards goals by promoting a sense of responsibility and commitment, and leading to growth.
“When accountability is present, people keep their eyes on a clear prize. They know what they are working toward and how they are going to get there.” – Henry J. Evans.
Freda Evelyn Abah-Dakou
If your organisation is ready to build sharper, more accountable decision-making at every level, get in touch with us.