Timing Is the Key to Decision Making

Timing is a key ingredient in effective decision making. A sense of timing is based on common sense and intuition, and leaders who are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others generally enjoy success in this area. A technically correct decision, announced at the right time, gains the support of top leadership and team members alike. No matter how correct a decision may appear, it is enhanced if the timing is right so that it is accepted by those who must implement it.

Determining who will make a particular decision is another important consideration. Even the most effective leaders must repeatedly judge whether to make a decision themselves, refer it to someone else, or delegate it. As a general rule, decisions should be made at the lowest organizational level consistent with quality.

In the Janaury 2013 post, Share Responsibility with Your Team, “Leaders and managers empower teams by teaching about self-responsibility and processes for creating, improving, and distributing products and services. Team members are encouraged to think about how work in the organization gets done and the best way to do it.

Because they’re concerned with productivity, efficiency, and profitability, effective leaders focus on achieving results. They make decisions and judgments that affect the lives and destinies of other people. In their pursuit of goals that are greater than one individual, or even a small group of individuals, effective leaders build genuine relationships with people.”

And finally, in the October 2013 post, Taking a Risk, “As a decision maker and problem solver, be prepared to risk change. Be willing to pay the price of disturbing your own psychological comfort by choosing to change. It may become necessary to defend yourself against traditional ways of thinking and acting, and you may have to do without social approval for a time. You may also encounter resistance, especially if you are young and new at the job. Not only do people instinctively resist change, they may actively insist that they are unable to learn a new procedure or change an old habit. When you believe in your decision, simply insist, even if you must do so repeatedly. As a leader, you are a role model. Remain calm and unemotional, but determined.”