Make sound and timely decisions

Sound decisions are founded on facts rather than assumptions, emotions, or hearsay, and must be approached logically. Rumors in the workplace can have a negative impact on company morale and performance. They can elicit strong emotions and send a company into a tailspin if not handled quickly and rationally.

Validate assumptions and concerns, and commit to gathering facts before sharing or acting on what you've learned. Before deciding how to proceed, take the time to ask questions to determine whether the facts are consistent or logical.

Making timely decisions is more difficult. Timely does not always imply instant. For example, if you are speaking at an event or hosting a webinar, you should have your presentation prepared and rehearsed well ahead of time. It does not imply that you must decide how your presentation's animation should flow the moment you confirm the event date. In this context, timely refers to the best or most logical time to make a decision. There will be times when timely does not mean immediately.

Making a decision too soon or too late can have a negative impact on the outcome.

Using our speaking event as an example, selecting a topic before knowing who your audience is could be a pointless exercise. Once confirmed, you'll most likely revise what you want to share to meet the needs of your audience. Similarly, if your topic contains rare or difficult-to-find facts, deciding on a topic too late may limit your research capacity.

Timely decisions must be made in the correct order. Making a decision before gathering all of the facts can leave you in the dark; making a decision too late can often limit your options. Some people struggle to make decisions because they are unprepared to deal with the consequences of their choices, so they postpone making them.

Some people simply put off doing something. If you have trouble making decisions, make a plan to see how your options might play out. Outline the steps that would follow your various options, as well as what is required to support each of your potential decisions—this will help you decide which path to take and what is or is not feasible.

Asking for assistance can also boost your confidence in your final decision. You wouldn't invest your money without doing proper research or consulting a professional for advice, so it makes no sense to approach major business decisions without facts and advice. Many books discuss the effectiveness of making decisions quickly, the most famous of which is "Blink," in which theorists argue that a bad decision made quickly is preferable to a good decision made too late. We tend to agree, but we also recognize the importance of making good decisions as quickly as possible.[1]

[1] TIMELY DECISIONS https://info.mezzaninegrowth.com/blog/principles-leadership-2-sound