Make a Decision

Make a decision. Take responsibility for making the tough decisions.

Right or wrong, making a harder-to-come-by decision changes the dynamic and moves things in a new direction. With wisdom and practice your decision making can improve and you will make far more good decisions than poor ones.

If the buck stops with you, step forward and decide. We often know the right decision early on. Further procrastination only increases anxiety and frustration on the part of those affected.

Clarity is of paramount importance to an individual or an organization. When things are clear, you can move forward with assurance and focus. A whole line of smaller decisions suddenly fit and can be handled quickly. Don’t let fear paralyze you. Take your role as a decision maker as a call to be decisive.

Make a Decision. Five Days of Coaching.

DAY ONE

This is the day to take stock of how well you make tough decisions. What's your default behavior when you need to make an important decision? Do you make it and move on? Do you agonize? Does it vary depending on the type of decision? How? Why? What's fear got to do with it? Think about the times you had the right decision at the beginning but didn't act on it. What needs to change?

The Coach asks:

• Take some time to really think about how you go about making tough decisions. What's your default approach, to move toward the decision or to move away? How do your emotions play into the process? 
• What types of tougher decisions create the greater challenges for you? What leads to that happening? 
• Recall times you quickly arrived at the right decision but failed to act on it. What happened? What could have caused you to take action right away when you knew what to do?
• When you make a decision moving forward, particularly a harder one, how would you like to handle it? What will it take to change your approach? How willing are you to do what it takes? Get started. 

DAY TWO

Make a decision. There's no time like the present. Make the biggest decision you can on something that is waiting on you. It doesn't have to be life changing, just don't get caught in a head game. Assess the facts as best you are able and move forward.

The Coach asks:

• What's the decision that is before you? Have you done your homework? Then make the decision. Don't play head-games. Commit to a path and take it.
• What did you notice when you committed? Did it lessen or increase anxiety? If it increased anxiety, what needs to be addressed? 
• You've now practiced using the "decision making muscle." How can you be intentional about using it even more?   

DAY THREE

Just in case you err on the side of acting too quickly before a good assessment of the facts, set some time aside today to consider a big decision before you. Look at it from different angles. Assess its pros and cons. Develop a checklist that you can walk through prior to making any decision so you can arrive at the best possible conclusion.

The Coach asks:

• Take a look today at how you assess a situation around which a decision must be made? What is the normal process you follow in assessing the objective facts? How to you assess the more subjective sides of the issue or situation? How do you use input and information from others? 
• Develop a draft process for making a tough decision. You can keep refining it as time goes on. For now, get it recorded and begin implementing it. 

DAY FOUR

If decision making stops with you, and others are waiting ... make another big decision today. Be bold. Step forward. Be clear. Give direction.

The Coach asks:

• What do you think your team thinks about your reluctance, resistance, hesitation or delay in making the tough decisions? How do they respond when you are clear and decisive. 
• Give thought to the impact you have on your team and organization in the way you make decisions. What do they need from you to perform at their best? 
• Step up and make the decisions that today requires of you. Trust yourself in this process. You've done your research. You've consulted where needed. Now make the decision and move forward.
• What is your sense of yourself as you step more boldly into decision-making? 

DAY FIVE

Clarity rules. Those who follow directions need clear ones. Practice clarity today. Be as detailed as you need to be. Decide what is important to accomplish and clearly tell the team how you want it done. Set the standard for conveying what you want.

The Coach asks:

• How can you convey your decision in the clearest way possible? What kind of clarity is required and appreciated? 
• When you make some of these tougher decisions, who needs to know? How confident are you in communicating your decision to them? What might need adjustment in how you approach this? 
• How much detail is really needed? Craft your decision so "just enough" gets conveyed to give everyone a clear path forward. 

Spiritual Reflection for Christian Leaders

As a Christian Executive Leadership Coach I encourage Christian leaders to reflect on God's Word to add to their wisdom.

• Pr 1:7  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• Pr 11:14  For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors.

• 2 Tim 3:16  All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

• Pr 3:5,6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

• Php 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

• Pr 18:13  To answer before listening - that is folly and shame. 

• Jas 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God ...

If you are a leader, executive, or senior level professional looking to work with a Christian Executive Coach, I invite you to connect with me here.

If appropriate, we can meet by phone or Zoom to discuss your situation. 

Record Your Progress

This is your opportunity to track your progress. Start by asking yourself how important this practice is to you? Record the importance as - not at all, somewhat, fairly, highly or extremely. 

Now next to it ask yourself how well you carry out this practice. Record your performance as - very poor, poor, okay, good or very good. 

The things we track, we pay attention to. Across time, come back and record your new results. You will find that as you are intentional about making improvements, you will bump your "score" up higher. 

This is significant. Don't miss the opportunity to acknowledge your success, and use it as a springboard for making even further gain. 

Notes

For some making a decision comes more naturally. It's not that they are better leaders necessarily. It's that their style wires them to naturally reach conclusions in less time, with not as much consultation, and having greater confidence in what they have decided. 

For others reaching an executive decision requires a different process. It's not fundamentally better, just different. It might require greater degrees of reflection and consultation. The concern to get it right, and not get it wrong plays big into the time it takes to reach the conclusion.