How the world shifts when we make a decision

I'm not blessed with math skills (you should see me trying to help my sons with GCSE math), nor am I very good with data, nor could I perform open-heart surgery (I'm quite squeamish), nor could I build a very good house, nor do I have the brains for engineering, but I can make decisions.

I've always found it quite easy to make decisions, but I know from first hand experience, that it isn't easy for many people.

I see a lot of leaders, managers and people in business not making decisions. They may think they are making a decision but in reality they are merely making a choice. Sometimes they do nothing at all.

But here's the thing with doing nothing in the face of a decision that needs to be made - that's a choice too. You are choosing to defer the decisions until a later date, or until you die...

I love this quote from W.H. Murray from the Scottish Himalayan Expedition:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.”

This is decision making. When we make a decision we commit everything. And in return we get insights, ideas, energy and support we may never have thought could occur.

Making a decision means you have decided.

The word decide originates from Latin, literally meaning "to cut off"; to cut off other choices.

So, when we decide on something we give that decision everything. Not some energy. Not some focus. Not an eye on something else. But everything. I guess it makes sense to be sure you absolutely want what you've decided on too 😄.

When we're faced with a decision we've hopefully done some study, gathered some insights and have options available to us. We've studied the options, considered the benefits and drawbacks, thought through the consequences, gathered input from others. We have a preferred option.

When you decide on that one option, you have to then commit fully.

You build a plan. You orientate yourself and the business behind the decision. You will encounter obstacles you had never thought of but you will get help you would never have dreamed of. You will see ideas and insights you may never have observed before. You will find people who want to help. You will have an energy within the business that will see you through.

Yet, in many organisation people are not really making decisions, they are choosing an option.

They are choosing one of the many options presented - yet always keeping the other choices open still. Of course, any chosen path may not work. It may be a bad decision. But choosing one option, and reserving energy for the others....just in case... is pretty certain to fail.

When people make a choice they often have no plan. They choose an option and kind of hope it comes true. They do some work but don't fully commit. The whole business doesn't orientate behind the plan. Other work continues. They sometimes even have people working on Option 2 still.....just in case. Energy and attention are split, diverted and diluted. Full commitment is never made. They've made a choice not a decision.

I've seen this in my own life. When I decide on something everything orientates towards that thing. And it gets done. It happens. Maybe not in the way I had hoped, and certainly not without problems and obstacles. But when I encounter a problem - I can see past it, through it, around it because I know what I want. I have energy towards something.

The same thing in business. I've seen teams "choose" a path and when the first obstacle pops up, they stop, they turn around, they give in. The Leader opts for choice number 2 instead as that will be easier. Then they encounter other problems and they stop. Then choice number 3.

2 years later and they're still nowhere nearer towards their strategy, goals or ambitions.

This isn't wishy washy advice, this is focus, attention and energy management.

When we make a decision we orientate everything behind the decision. We give it focus and where focus goes, energy flows or something like that. Was that a Tony Robbin's quote? Oh my, I'm getting dangerously close to motivational speaker land 😄

If you're in a meeting and there is a decision to be made, and insights and data are present (because you need this to make a decision), and relationships have been primed (because, you're going to need to have support from your peers) then it's time to flex this advice above.

If you have options and you find yourself making a choice (no plan, keeping an eye on other choices, diverting partial energy to something) then ask yourself whether this is seriously something you want, need, must do. If it is, then build a plan, divert all energy and attention to it, commit to it, kill all other options, set up milestones, expect obstacles and gather the team to get it done.

If you make a decision you'll orientate an energy to get it done. If you simply choose don't be surprised if you don't achieve it. And of course, it pays to be sure that what you've said you wanted, is indeed what you wanted.

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