ImpactSkills
Have it your way
Making decisions doesn’t mean avoiding the thoughts of your co-workers. Henry Englehardt explains how to garner views while maintaining control
The key points
UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE
Establish the facts of the situation you need to make a decision about
FIGURE OUT THE OPTIONS
Know the possible courses of action, and your preferred choice
TAKE IT TO THE GROUP
Ask your colleagues what they think – but reserve the right to take their Suggestion under advisement
I believe that the number-one ability in a great leader is decision-making, and that to improve your decision-making, you should welcome the input of as many people as is practical.
How do you know if you’re a good leader? Simple: people follow you. How do you know if you’re a great leader? People follow you over a sustained period of time.
If you want to be a good leader, maybe even a great leader, I believe you can be. If people follow you, then you’re the leader. I put decision-making at the top of my list of leadership qualities, but it’s not the most challenging to achieve. That would be dealing with people, trying to lead them where you want to go. People are complex machines; you need to appeal to them intellectually and emotionally. Having a good balance between the two will help you to be a great leader – but a little imbalance can help. Some imbalance may even be necessary. Some followers can be led more easily via intellectual links and others through emotional links.
A decision’s hidden impact
Here’s a situation for you. Let’s say one of your team members, Diane, is a single mum with two little kids. Immediately, what does that say to you? Right, she is going to have particular needs: school appointments, sick days, and so on. Diane, a good member of the team, comes to you one morning and says, “My little one, Johnny, fell down yesterday and chipped his tooth. The only dentist appointment I could get is this afternoon so I’ll have to leave a couple of hours early.”
She concludes by telling you that there’s no possibility of her making up the time. What do you tell her? Before you answer, tell me what the issues are. What are the things going through your mind that will lead you to your response?
I suspect most of you would tell Diane: “Fine, take care of your family, that’s what’s important.”
I suspect that because you’re a nice person who understands the problems single parents have, and why you must help your people when they need your help. Good answer. But it’s the wrong answer.
Now, what did you list for issues? No, the ‘issues’ aren’t about being able to cover her work for a couple of hours. That can be done (happens every time she goes on holiday, doesn’t it?).
The key issue is what the rest of the team is going to think.
What is Chris, who doesn’t have any family commitments, going to make of this? What stops him from saying, “Hey, I too have to go to the dentist and I’m also leaving at 3pm and can’t make the time up. Ta-ta!” So, what’s the solution?
Opening up the question
It comes back to the Superwoman/Superman complex: You are in charge, you made a decision, you told Diane and the team and that was it. I think there’s a better way, one that probably gives Diane the time she needs and avoids any potential problem with the other members of the team. My solution is to get the team together, explain Diane’s situation and ask them to come up with a solution.
I’ve taken the decision to the team, but note that I’ve only asked for a suggestion, not given them authority. There’s a possibility that they’d make a terrible decision that I don’t want to follow (it’s my back door). But the real beauty is that, assuming you follow the team’s suggestion, you now have buy-in. And buy-in is a powerful force. If you had made the same decision on your own it opens it up for some team members to moan. This way, you didn’t make the decision, they did!
An added bonus: When you give the team buy-in, they feel that they have some control over their destiny.
We live in a culture that tells us only the weak avoid making a decision. In truth, a smart leader does make the decision but gives the team input.
Henry Engelhardt is the founder and CEO emeritus of Admiral Group. His book, Be a Better Boss: Learn to Build Great Teams and Lead Any Organisation to Success is out now, published by whitefox Publishing. Business orders of five or more copies are available at a discount of 35% off RRP. Contact Hannah Tatum (hannahtatum@wearewhitefox.com)
Be a better boss
By Henry Englehardt is out now, published by whitefox Publishing
