Archiv der Kategorie: Management

Here you find topics like planning, organization and leadership.

Differently decisive

Decisions are not only made by managers in corporations. Also not only by politicians, who were elected for decision making. We all decide. It does not matter where we are or when a decision is needed. The necessity to make a selection exists, without being aware of it. And sometimes it becomes visible by being torn one way or the other that puts you into a state of shock. Some people may sit out decisions and let themselves be driven with the hope to escape the obligation to decide. We always run into danger to leave the decision to other people, although it would be better being differently decisive in order top determine your future.

Entschiedenanders

It is like being on a moving walkway that follows a defined course continuously through times. If you sit out decisions and leave yourself to this way, you are advancing constantly, sometimes the direction is even changing, but you do not exploit your possibilities. There are always at least three options to change the walkway. Many succumb to the illusion that they do not make a decision, if they simply do not move. However, they forget thereby that this is also a decision. – the decision to leave yourself to your fate. How do you leave this way and take over control?

  • Decision-making pressure
    When you do not like something or new possibilities emerge, which seem to be better than the current, the need for a decision arises. These signals are an important condition for conscious decision making. They are often private or business problems. Additionally, there are again and again opportunities that provide new development potentials.
  • Make options clear
    You should be clear about the options after you recognize them. It is not only about the alternatives that you have, but also about being able to find further alternatives. Besides new tasks that open up, there are always further approaches that you were not aware yet.
  • Think about consequences
    The consequences that result from the different opportunities, should be reflected. You should become aware of the advantages of each alternative. Additionally, you should not forget the disadvantages that result. Additionally, you should make yourself clear about the things that you give up, if you leave the current way. Perhaps the loss maybe higher. In this case you know what you have to do.
  • Decide
    As soon as it is clear, what you want, it is important to make your choice. And not only making the decision but also to act immediately. With the preparation it is clear, what you should do and what areas need special care.
  • Staying attentive
    Since you are moving on new ground, it is an advantage to make each step attentively. Surprises are waiting on the new way that you do not expect. With the momentum of active decision, you should be prepared for additional efforts. It is important to find new options and to decide, if you get to the point that you set on the wrong horse and the decision pressure already becomes noticeable.

Bottom line: We make decisions without interruptions and not only, when we are consciously in a decision making case. Even if we think that we are able to avoid the resolution by simply doing nothing, we make a decision, i.e. the decision for whatever the result will be without our control. You should use your chances, by actively deciding and not leaving your own fate to somebody else. Additionally being decisive differently is mostly better. No matter how you are on the way, the moving walkways end one day. And then there is actually nothing more to decide.

The thing about the well

You can find again and again executives, who avoid a prescient strategy with quick actions. Or others, who consider the development of a plan as a formula that reliably predicts the future. Or even those, who hide behind incalculability, in order to evade from long-term planning. With the decision to waive basic ideas, how the future should look like, they oversee the thing about the well.

Brunnengefallen

Without forecast you move with full risk and without reference point at the edge. Interestingly only a few people seem to make themselves aware of the following aspects.

  • Steps in complete darkness
    Without the formulation of vision, mission, influence factors, the strategic direction and goals as well as the determination of the core competencies, processes and deliverables you act blindly, as if you would be on the way in a moonless night and in complete darkness. And with this, unexpected events and unconsidered influences do create road blocks that can only be overcome with a lot of effort. Nothing changes, if you are lying in the well. It is still dark.
  • At two hundred in the fog
    The illusion being faster on the way casually is not much different than believing that you advance faster, if you rush at two hundred in the fog. Isn’t it clear, that it is neither a matter of avoiding obstacles nor keeping the track? The lack of orientation even does not guarantee that you move forward instead of circling. Eventually edges emerge, from where you can fall into the well. As soon as you are in the well, fog does not matter anymore.
  • Even in the well it goes deeper
    Surprisingly the fallen people in the well have the illusion, that they can make themselves comfortable in the deep. Even in the well it goes deeper. The tightness provides no security, since it still goes further down. For this reason you have to make all possible efforts to get out of the tightness and to get back on the way of strategy.

As soon as you are in the well, the effort for the development of a strategy seems to be negligible, since now a multiple is necessary, in order to make progress. The reduced room for action and the unclear way out do not only harm the already achieved results. On the one hand you are thrown back and on the other hand you still have to develop a future. This blocks the way into the future with additional difficulties. After the case is before the case. It is only a matter of avoiding this immense extra-effort.

Bottom line: Those many arguments that speak against the development of a strategy are incommensurate with the damage that results from a lack of forecast. Particularly surprising, wells appear from nowhere. Maybe the thing with the well motivates pragmatics to create a strategy – even if it is only done to avoid the fall.