We’ve all come across some indecisive people in our lives. Indecisiveness comes in all forms. You’ve got the employee who refuses to make the final call on anything. The co-worker who leaves all judgment calls up to you. The manager who expects excessive research before she will approve a project.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for due diligence. And in these days when we’re still recovering from a troubled economy, we have to be a bit more cautious about the risks we’re willing to take in business.
However, a chronically indecisive manager can hurt productivity, damage morale and stunt innovation. In one scene of The Cure for Toxic-Boss Syndrome: Avoid the Blunders That Disrupt Teams, an indecisive manager—referred to as The Brush-Off—angers and stresses an employee because he refuses to make what seems like a pretty cut-and-dry decision.
During the scene, you learn that it’s usually fear that causes indecisiveness and then you’re presented with steps for becoming more decisive. Here are just a few of the tips presented in this informative video:
- Make decisions that support your organization’s objectives. Move forward only with those plans that will move your team closer to your goals. All others aren’t worth considering.
- Start saying “Yes.” If the risk posed by a particular decision is small, agree to it. For example, don’t stall when employees ask if they can adopt a different process that will yield the same results.
- Stop being so scared. Realize that greatness comes from taking risks, and when you take chances, you may make mistakes or fail. But doing so is the only way to become truly exceptional.
What’s the biggest decision you’ve had to make as a manager so far? How do you feel about your decision?
Filed under: Leadership, Workplace Personalities Tagged: | brush-off, decision making, fear, leadership
