Making decisions can be tough. It can even be a bit dicey. What if you make a mistake?
According to the Internet, THEY—you know, those people with no faces or names—estimate we adults make about 35,000 decisions a day. Researchers at Cornell University estimate we make 226.7 choices on food alone—each day.
I don’t know how we get any work done.
As a NextGen leader, you have many responsibilities, including growing your people. Just this morning, one of my clients said she has a hard time getting her work done because staff is always coming to her for help in making decisions.
Well, here’s your chance to help grow your staff and empower them to make decisions.
Meet The Decision Tree.
decision treeIf a tree loses a couple leaves, it’s no big deal. It happens every fall. Therefore, staff need to understand when a decision is a leaf decision. As the graphic shows, a leaf decision is one in which a staffer can make a decision, act on that decision, and not bother reporting the decision to you, their Next Gen leader.
If a tree loses a branch, that could indicate the tree is suffering in some way. In that case, the staffer can make a decision, act on the decision, and then let you, the leader, know what was done.
If a tree’s trunk is injured in some way, the tree could die. Therefore, a trunk decision requires that the staffer make a decision and report that decision to you, the leader, before taking any action. This step takes the decision off the staffer’s plate and puts it on yours. That’s why they pay you the big bucks.
If a tree’s root is damaged, the tree is in serious danger of dying. In that case, the staffer brings the problem to you, the leader. You gather up your team and decide what to do as a team.
Regardless of what level your decisions are at, remember this. MAKE A DECISION. DECIDE. DO NOT FREEZE UP.
Maimonides (Spanish philosopher)
© Pamela A. Scott, MentorLoft.com 2022