Making hard decisions

Making hard decisions is not one of the fun things managers do, but it’s easy to delay making choices because they’re difficult.  Often, this comes at a cost to the organization and staff.

Managers postpone talking with employees who are struggling often because they’re not sure what to say, or they’re irritated with the employee, or they just don’t want to deal with the conflict.  The employee may not be aware they’re doing something wrong and/or others see an employee getting away with something.  In the meantime, the "wrong" work becomes habitual and seems to be accepted.  Either way, it’s destructive for the employee and the culture.

Big decisions that need to be made may seem daunting because we don’t know how they’ll turn out.  Crucial projects can be stressful because of the added pressures involved. Emergency situations, limited supplies, and other factors out of our control can add to the challenge.

But with these choices we have opportunities.  Sometimes we must  be forced to see things differently in order to explore new paths. Having difficult conversations with staff can clear up miscommunications and lead to clarifications that may help everyone move forward together.

Making choices in projects helps, too, as we learn from the decisions we make, whether things turn out for the best or not.

An old saying, sometimes attributed to C.S. Lewis, notes that “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”  Embrace hard decisions for the possibilities they bring.  And teach your staff to do the same.

#harddecisions #management #hrsolutions #positivity

Determining which way to go, making the hard decision, can lead us on an important journey.