EFFECTIVE DECISION MAKING
Making good decisions is the cornerstone of leadership. It sounds simple enough, but quality decision making is challenging, even in the best of circumstances. "Do I have the right information?" "Are the right people involved?" "Am I even solving for the right problem?"
These qustions are all factors that can complicate our decisions. Most leaders tend to overestimate their ability to make good judgment and are often overconfident in forecasting outcomes. Therefore, it's important to note that good decision makers are those that have learned to balance data with intuition and can feel good even if their choice is not 100% correct. They are timely and decisive. They push both decision making and decision AUTHORITY to the most appropriate level and they can delegate effectively. They use the tools at their disposal to support them and they are skilled at paying attention to the right things to support their choice.
This month's newsletter offers a few tools that can support you in effective decision making. We hope they bring clarity and direction to your next big choice.
Sincerely,
THE CONSCIOUS LEADER
Leadership in today’s rapidly changing organizational environment requires a unique combination of skills, willingness to learn and adapt, and the ability to distill information and make decisions quickly.
Through our Conscious Leader program, you can, as a leader, help empower your teams by preparing up-and-coming individuals for career advancement and leadership opportunities across the organization, increasing leadership effectiveness to improve team dynamics, and driving measurable results aligned with specific business metrics. On a personal level, you can improve emotional intelligence, gain a better understanding of your personal strengths as well as areas you can build to improve leadership outcomes, and deepen leadership skills to better meet the needs of your employees and team.
Our Conscious Leader program uses experiential learning to help participants deepen self-awareness and discover their unique leadership styles to support the organization’s mission, values, and goals. Additionally, they will gain new insights, build valuable relationships, hone the skills necessary to navigate the challenges posed by the organizational culture, and experience growth in leadership competencies and interpersonal effectiveness.
Participants will acheive clarity and discernment through:
- Leadership assessments
- Individual coaching sessions
- Mentorship opportunities
- Guest speakers
- Experiential onsite facilitated group sessions
Transformational learning takes time. The Conscious Leader is crafted to meet your specific organizational needs by facilitating learning integration and team collaboration over time (typically six to 12 months).
Through this program they will:
- Expand self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- Build trusting partnerships to enhance team effectiveness and accelerate collaborative relationships
- Learn skills that help support employee engagement, retention, and successful leadership advancement
- Develop leadership skills to drive business results
The program requires participants to show up with courage and vulnerability. With this dedication, our participants share that what they’ve learned in this program has significantly impacted both the professional and personal aspects of their lives.
If you’d like to learn more, CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.
TEAM COACHING
It has long been known that professional coaching can help individuals navigate challenges, gain clarity, increase engagement, and achieve goals, but teams can benefit from coaching as well.
Teams are individuals who are interdependent on each other’s actions and outcomes. They share and are mutually committed to a common purpose. So, while individuals may have specific tasks, the work requires support and interdependence for successful completion. Work products are collective, and leadership is shared in support of mutual accountability across individuals.
Organizations expect more from team performance and therefore, they must function such that they can leverage one another’s skills and knowledge. When teams are effective, they can make better, more timely decisions, utilize resources more efficiently, and achieve goals more seamlessly. Successful teams collaborate well, motivate each other, and enhance creativity.
This doesn’t always come naturally to teams. To be successful, leaders must foster good relationships and communication between all the players on the team. And, sometimes, they need the impartial perspectives of an outside party. This is where a professional coach can be helpful. By focusing on improving team dynamics, a professional coach can help individuals learn to communicate more effectively, in turn, enhancing collaboration and productivity, reducing stress and misunderstanding, and enabling co-creation of more effective efficient work processes.
Innovative Connections offers a team coaching approach that seeks to help teams, not only identify where they could enhance their effectiveness but also work collaboratively to build relationships that support higher performance.
The philosophy of team coaching mirrors that of coaching in general with the main expectation that the focus is on the relationship between and within the system (team members, stakeholders, and wider organizational context). Team coaching relies on team members to bring forth issues and concerns, feelings and perspectives, and problem-solving and solutions. The coach acts as a facilitator, observer, accountability partner, and guide to move strategies forward and the team is responsible for “making things happen”.
If you’d like to learn more, CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.
DID YOU KNOW?
74 percent of people say the number of decisions they make daily has increased 10x over the last three years.
The benefits of good organizational decision-making extend beyond immediate outcomes to influence overall productivity, performance, culture, and sustainability. It is a key leadership skill and proves even more important in today’s ever-changing work environment.
A recent study revealed by PR Newswire, reveals that 70 percent of leaders would prefer a robot to make their decisions for them. And this comes at a time when it’s also reported that 74 percent of people say the number of decisions they make every day has increased 10 times over the last three years and another 78 percent say are getting bombarded with more data from more sources than ever before.
What’s more, leaders feel overwhelmed and underqualified to effectively use this data in their decision making, which compromises their ability to make timely and sound decisions. This, in turn, is negatively impacting the quality of their work and personal lives.
The Decision Dilemma study by Oracle and Seth Stephens-Davidowitz reveals significant insights into the current state of decision-making among employees and business leaders. Here are some key findings and implications from the study:
- Increased Decision-Making Pressure: The study highlights that people are facing more decisions than ever before in both their personal and professional lives. The sheer volume of decisions can be overwhelming, leading to decision fatigue and reduced decision quality.
- Struggles with Decision-Making: Despite the necessity to make more decisions, individuals are struggling with the decision-making process. This struggle can stem from various factors, including information overload, lack of clarity, and the pressure to make the right choices quickly.
- Impact on Well-Being: The pressure and difficulty in making decisions can negatively impact individuals' mental and emotional well-being. Decision fatigue can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout, affecting overall productivity and job satisfaction.
- Need for Better Decision-Making Tools: The study underscores the need for improved decision-making tools and processes. Organizations can benefit from investing in technologies and strategies that help streamline decision-making, reduce complexity, and provide clearer guidance.
Making good decisions quickly can be challenging, as rushing can lead to mistakes, but spending too long can result in missed opportunities. Take heart, however, it is possible to simplify and distill information quickly and make the decisions you need to make with confidence. The HBR article, How to Make Great Decisions, Quickly provides eight tips to consider when trying to improve your decision-making skills:
- Consider Different Viewpoints:
- Seek input from relevant experts to broaden your perspective.
- Engage in healthy debate to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and develop effective solutions.
- Consult Those Closest to the Situation:
- Consult individuals who are closest to the issue and have extensive knowledge and experience.
- Value input from those directly involved in the work, regardless of their position in the organizational hierarchy.
- Address Root Causes:
- Focus on identifying and addressing the core issues rather than just the symptoms.
- Develop plans to tackle the root cause to prevent recurring problems.
- Clarify Accountability:
- Ensure that a single person is accountable for making the decision.
- Avoid shared accountability to maintain decision effectiveness and build trust within the team.
- Consider All Repercussions:
- Evaluate the potential risks and impacts of your decisions comprehensively.
- Consider factors such as budget, resources, timeframe, quality, and customer satisfaction.
- Balance Short-Term and Long-Term Value:
- Weigh the short-term and long-term costs and benefits of your decisions.
- Strive to find a balance that delivers true value and supports sustainable growth.
- Communicate Clearly:
- Clearly communicate the substance and reasoning behind your decisions to all relevant stakeholders.
- Align everyone with the outcome to ensure smooth implementation and avoid seeking approval or consensus unnecessarily.
- Timeliness:
- Speed up your decision-making process by addressing the core elements with urgency.
- Use judgment and cost-benefit analysis to make timely decisions, considering the level of risk involved.
Incorporating these elements into your decision-making process can help you make better, faster decisions, enhance your leadership performance, and improve team outcomes. By evaluating decisions prospectively and maintaining a balance between speed and accuracy, you can significantly impact your organization’s culture and overall performance.
Making decisions can sometimes be very complex. We often have a lot of information to interpret in a short amount of time. You may find it may help to have a decision-making tool to help you distill all of the information and simplify the process. To try it out download our free Decision Making and Delegation Tool.
IN THE PRESS
TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY: How to bridge the gap between generations in the workplace
Success with Dr. Laurie Cure of Innovative Connections, providing organizational solutions
4 External Forces that Shape Company Culture
Why Workplace Culture has Become a Bigger Conversation About Corporate America
How to Write a Short Professional Bio
MEET OUR TEAM
Our organizational effectiveness consultants have helped clients from diverse industries work through tough challenges and walk the path to greater personal and organizational success.
We'd love to help you too! CLICK HERE for an obligation-free consultation, or call: 970-279-3330.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER AND OUR CLIENTS
We believe every voice holds value and everyone should be empowered to bring their full and authentic self to work. We celebrate diversity and feel a deep responsibility to move organizations from good intentions to meaningful action around equity and inclusion. We approach this work with intentional awareness, curiosity, and respect. As consultants and coaches, we recognize our ability to influence individual behavior and organizational culture, and we aim to always create safe and inclusive environments that encourage our clients to learn, grow, connect, and innovate.