Hey Reader,
This week was filled with truly soul-filling connections for me, with coaching clients and wonderful humans on the internet (you know who you are!). When one particular person shared how this newsletter has helped shift her leadership approach, I invited her to suggest this week's topic.
"Alison, how do I make decisions when decision making is HARD?!"
You got it.
Here are my thoughts from experience leading teams through pandemics, non-profit board formation, and corporate dumpster fires.
Align on principles
Identify your true stakeholders in the decision. Who will be most impacted? Who needs to approve, buy in, or be informed? Consider priorities like acceptable risk, timeline for disruption, and potential impact. What core values must be upheld?
Who is responsible?
When facing a tough decision, clarify if it's actually YOUR decision to make. Are you the decision-maker or simply implementing someone else's choice? As a leader, difficult decisions come with the territory. Step back and determine whether you're accountable for the results or responsible for executing another's decision.
Pick the least ๐ฉ choice.
Sometimes you must pick the least worst option. When every path is difficult, consider which choice will be least negatively impactful or most mitigable. For example, can you soften the impact of a layoff by reducing workload or outsourcing? Be transparent about why there were no good choices and your reasoning for the option selected.
Rip the bandaid off
Sometimes... it just sucks. I recommend ripping the bandaid off and powering through. The only way through is through, and spending too much time analyzing options often causes more harm than making the tough choice. The sooner you decide and move forward, the sooner you can focus on change management, easing impacts, and mitigating ripple effects.
What would you add?
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Monday Hour 1
Here's your weekly invitation to take time for yourself to approach your week with intention, a focus on impact and prioritize leading yourself in human-centered ways.
Monday Hour 1
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- What decisions might you be avoiding making or communicating?
- Do you have a set time on your calendar to take action on decisions, even the hard ones?
- Whats the most impactful thing you can do this week?
- Where is your natural energy at in this season? How are you evolving your protected time to meet your own needs.
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