The Decision Is Made. Now The Work Begins

 


I have been part of a lot of important decisions over the years. Some were made quickly while others took weeks or months of discussion, committee meetings, consensus building, research, debate, and oftentimes compromise.

What I have learned is that making the decision is rarely the hardest part. The hard part is what happens next. We spend a lot of time talking about decision-making in leadership. We gather information, listen to different perspectives, weigh the options, and eventually make a choice. Sometimes everyone agrees. Often they don't. Then the meeting ends and the real  leadership really begins. A good decision doesn't automatically produce a good result. Someone has to take that decision and turn it into action. People need to understand what is changing, why it is changing, and what is expected of them.

Decisions of Clarity: One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming everyone understands a decision because it was discussed at a meeting or announced in an email. They don't. People hear things differently. They fill in the blanks. When information is missing, people or groups often fill in the void with what they have heard or believe. Tell people what you know. Tell them what you don't know. Explain why the decision was made. Most importantly, help them understand what happens next.

Commit to Consistency: If we say something is important, our actions have to show that it is important. We can't announce a new direction on Monday and quietly return to the old way of doing things three weeks later because implementation became uncomfortable. People watch what leaders do much more closely than what leaders say.This is especially true when a decision isn't popular or causes disruption. Good leaders adjust when the facts tell them they should. But there is a big difference between adjusting a plan because we learned something new and abandoning it because implementation became difficult.

Follow-through: This may be the least exciting part of leadership, but it might be the most important. It is important to check in, ask questions, and monitor results. Talk with the people actually doing the work. Find out what is working and what isn't; make adjustments as needed and don't assume that because you haven't heard about a problem, there isn't one.

I have seen organizations spend tremendous amounts of time developing strategic plans, initiatives, goals, and strategies. The planning document looks great. The presentation goes well. Everyone leaves the room feeling like progress has been made and then they go back to their normal everyday work. Strategic actions to support the planning are likely the most important, and most often overlooked part of planning. What will you do, or what will the organization do, to ensure the work is accomplished? How will you know when it is done to satisfaction? The key is to not only decide, but then commit to doing the work and follow through with finalization. 

If you can Decide, Commit, and Follow-through you’ll be much more successful with making big decisions and known for your ability to lead.

If you need help with turning decisions into actions, or general leadership team development reach out to me for assistance.

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