In a recent HBR LinkedIn group, Abhishek asked “As a leader how do you make tough calls?“. The question provoked a wide range of interesting responses for making decisions. I picked few interesting ones, paraphrased and categorized them for reference. Enjoy!
Philosophical
- It depends! varies from situation to situation!
- There is no such thing as tough calls – It is all in the mind, Its when your values conflict with your objective reasoning
- A simple problem is tough till it is solved. A tough problem is simple, once it is solved.
- There are no problems, only solutions
By Questioning
- How will this decision be viewed 50 years from now? How much time do I have to make this decision?
- Ask, what is best for the company and act accordingly
- Ask, what do I want to accomplish with my actions that makes things better for my business and then actions to achieve the solution
Purpose
- Let your values and experience guide you.
- Do what’s right of the business, right for people, right for the outcome you are trying to achieve.
Logical
- Breathe deeply, assess the situation, weigh in options/risks/concerns, listen to your heart/head/mentors/peers, evaluate alternatives, define plan, pray & pull the trigger
- Reframe the situation/options with alternative outcomes, state what’s most important, use diversity to argue/debate until consensus emerges, sleep on it for 24hrs, implement it without second guessing, finally do a post evaluation
- Open communication is key, communicate ‘why’ in advance in all discussions, deliver uniform message,
- Avoid snap judgments or decisions when stakes are high, iterate. Else, flip a coin, go with your gut!
Non Emotionally
- Calm down and be empathic, meditate to help focus.
- Take emotions out of the equation, at the same time be empathetic and respectful for others, act with humility/integrity, be compassionate but firm.
- Focus on the big picture and reality of the situation.
- Be open, honest, fair & have the balls to call it the way that you see it!
Quotes
- Anonymous – “An iron fist in a velvet glove.” (you need to be tough at times but you can be nice about it – shows mettle/assertiveness, consideration and decisiveness)
- Roy Disney – “Once you know what you believe, there are no hard decisions.”
So what’s your approach? How do you make tough calls when faced with challenging situation?
