Step Back to Succeed in Decision Making
All of the greatest leaders in world are man-managers. Without
exception, they command respect from those who work with them
and for them. Some managers may rule with a rod of iron, others
with a softer approach, but the key trait consistent in all
great leaders is their charisma.
Charisma is defined as “A personal attractiveness that enables
you to influence others”.
If you observe how the best managers you have worked for
operate, you will undoubtedly find that they have a calmness
about them, when others are at panic stations. Whether they
realise it or not, they are operating in a fashion that mimics
most (if not all) of the greatest leaders of our time. This
trait can be learnt, but for some people it is easier to master
than others. First, you must remember that all stress is a
state of mind. I think I’ll repeat it, just so you get it –
All stress is a state of mind
If you think that you can’t cope – you won’t. It seems that
very few people (and very few managers) have mastered the
ability of detachment. The way to stay calm while others panic
is as easy as this:
S top what you are doing
T hink logically through each option
E stimate the likely outcomes of each option
P lay the probability game – what is the likely option?
B e sure that you have all of the facts – do you need anyone or
anything else?
A ccept that you have made the best decision based on the facts
you have
C heck with your instinct – does it feel right?
K eep calm and make the decision
The best managers follow this framework and make a decision in
seconds. It is like driving a car. Once you have learnt how to,
and practiced enough, your subconscious takes over and does the
work without you having to consciously go through the routine.
You can practice this process on minor decisions, the outcomes
of which do not affect you or your company either way. As a
supervisor or manager, there will undoubtedly be a time when
you will have to make more important, and sometimes
instantaneous, decisions. That’s when all of the practicing
will pay off. In a former role, I personally applied this
structure to an instant decision that could have cost the bank
I was working for $750,000, if I was wrong. Based on the facts
I had – I made the right decision. If I had panicked, I
probably would have made the wrong decision, which, in
retrospect, would have been easier to make and implement.
One of the key elements to stepping back is to use your
instinct. I have seen many people make decisions based upon
data that they KNOW is false or incomplete. They felt pressured
to come up with the ‘right’ answer. In many cases the perceived
right answer is not always the correct one. If your instinct is
telling you something is not right – listen to it, ask it
questions, that’s what it is there for. If you don’t feel that
the decision is the right one, then you may be missing
something. Your instinct will never let you assume anything
without giving you some form of warning.
The Internet and email has speeded up response times –
customers no longer accept more than 24 hours between their
query and its solution. All businesses are constantly evolving.
If the company you work for is standing still, it is really
going backwards, and it probably won’t be around in five or ten
years’ time. When (not if) a big reorganisation of your company
takes place, however many months, or years in the future, the
workers who will be in demand are those who can stay calm and
make decisions, while others around them scream and shout.
Managers and supervisors are always looking for people who can
accept responsibility. Make sure that one of them is you.
Copyright 2002, Gary Vurnum. All Rights Reserved
Gary Vurnum quit his full-time job to devote himself to his
family, and to his own self-development. His life turned around
after the birth of his severely disabled son, and he now wants
to share with others the tools he used to remain positive
during the worst time of his life. His life-changing ebook “The
Science of Success” is now available from
http://www.scienceofsuccess.com