by Silva Payne

Created on: November 20, 2009

The ability to make decisions is a key management skill. There is more to the process, however, than just saying "yes" or "no" to a question. Being decisive carries with it a certain amount of responsibility, not only to your team but also the company as a whole. If you are aiming to be a good manager, being decisive is an important attribute to develop.

Making decisions is much more than picking an answer or direction. Having the ability to see the decision process through effectively from start to finish is a large part of management. Gathering all the relevant information from a number of sources is the first step. This can take many weeks, or might need to be carried out in just one or two hours. Whatever deadline you are working to, being decisive and taking the lead in any project should be based on all the available information.

Having made your decision, to be a good manager you need to maintain ownership of that decision in an open and honest way. When anyone questions why you have taken that particular path, make sure that your reasons and arguments are robust. This will increase the level of respect for your decision, and for you as a manager. However, if your original decision generates issues and implications that were not apparent at the start of the project, you may need to reassess the situation.

When the circumstances surrounding your decision change, it may mean that you have to change your focus or approach. This does not mean that you have failed in the first stages. It simply means that we live in a fluid world and sometimes external events cannot be foreseen. When you are reassessing the project parameters, as all good managers should periodically throughout a project, keep in mind what contingency plans you may need in the event of a major change outside of your control. This way, if something does happen to disrupt the flow of the project, you will already have several possibilities to hand that can be tried or incorporated. This adds to your air of decisiveness and will reassure your project staff that you have considered as many options as possible.

Beware of switching from one decision to another too frequently. Give changes time to become clear and try to avoid jumping at shadows or giving knee-jerk responses. It could be that a piece of information that seems like a major disruption on the surface, actually opens more doors of possibility and expansion in the long run. If you change track too soon, you could end up closing those doors prematurely.

Most people feel more comfortable with a manager who can make difficult decisions with an air of confidence, even if the manager doesn't feel that confident themselves.

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