Category Archives: Decision Making

Fatal Mistake

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From the “Ask Tom” mailbag.

Question – CC writes, “What are the analytic skills needed for decision making that will help a manager in problem solving?”

Response – The most frequent fatal mistake made by a manager is jumping to a solution without considering alternatives. There are several tools that can help you make better decisions. My favorite tool is a simple set of three questions.

1. What is the problem?
2. What are the possible solutions to the problem?
3. Which is the best solution?

This is a simple process that can be used alone by the manager or in a brain-storm session with the help of a team. This process can be used quickly for problems that require an immediate solution or can be used over an extended period of time for complicated issues. It is also simple to teach to supervisors so they can use it with their teams.

The power of this process is that it prevents the frequent fatal mistake, jumping to a solution without considering other alternatives. The discipline of using this simple three step process will have a positive impact on the quality of decisions made by a manager.

What would happen in your organization, if every time a decision had to be made, people stopped long enough to ask these three questions? -TF

If you have a question about management, just use the link to the right. Thanks to CC for this question.

Ever Had a Team Slow Walk a Job?

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“Why can’t I just tell the team what they are supposed to do?” complained Aaron. “Why do I have to bring them into the meeting? I can figure out what we need to do much faster.”

“What happens if they disagree with your solution?” I ask.

“Well, that’s just tough. I’m the boss and I am supposed to be smarter than they are.”

“Aaron, have you ever had a team slow walk a job on you? Or worse, sandbag a job on you?” Aaron stopped. A blank stare came across his face. I could see this had happened more than once. He was just trying to decide which one he was going to tell me about.

I continued, “Aaron. You may be a smart guy. You might even have the right answer to solve the problem, but you need the cooperation of your team to execute that solution. The time for your team to have questions is before they get into the thick of things. Once things get rolling, if you have to stop to explain your thinking, it’s too late.

“So, let’s set up a meeting beforehand. Let them ask questions, let them challenge the solution. Let them grapple with the problem a bit and then agree on a course of action. Once everyone is in agreement, then we can roll forward, full steam ahead.” -TF

Drive the Decision Down?

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Question:
What is your opinion on the idea of forcing decision making downward. Do you think downward decision making is desirable?

Response:
It depends. There are a number of factors that will determine this direction. Ultimately, I will hold the manager responsible for the results of any decision that was made. This alone may guide you.

First factor is risk management. How much risk is associated with the result of the decision? If the decision is made poorly, how much damage can be done?

The second factor has to do with purpose. What is the purpose of driving the decision down a level? Is it a learning purpose? Is its purpose to obtain buy-in to the decision? Get clear on the purpose and that will help you determine the direction to move. -TF

The Cause of the Problem

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Monday’s blog about open door policies struck a nerve. Here is an excerpt from one of many e-mails:

“People tell me that I should have one of those number machines outside my door, like the ones they have at the deli. Sometimes, my open door policy really does prevent me from doing my job and meeting deadlines.”

As a manager, people line up outside your door because you have trained them to do that. One day, they had a problem, they brought it to you and you solved it. Now, whenever they have a problem, they bring it to you. As a manager, you have created a downward spiral that continually shifts the burden to your shoulders. If you manage a team of six, you have six people constantly dumping problems on your desk.

Stop it.

As a manager, it is your responsibility to reverse the flow. As a manager, your primary objective is to build a team that can solve its own problems. Train your people to bring you solutions.

One of my clients printed up a small pad of paper that he kept on the corner of his desk. Whenever a team member arrived with a problem, he ripped off the top sheet and sent them to the conference room for ten minutes. Here is what the sheet said:

1. What do you think is causing the problem?
2. Name three solutions that might solve the problem?
3. Which is the best solution that might solve the root cause of the problem?

So, ten minutes later, the manager would go to the conference room, only to find it empty. Problem solved. -TF

Think Fast

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Lisa Haneberg, at Management Craft, was curious about the time frame allotted for having a team create questions in a meeting. I was suggesting that the team create twelve questions in the short span of six minutes.

It’s a twist on “Work expands to fill the time allotted.” People will think quickly if you ask them to think quickly. While it sounds like an aggressive dynamic, my experience tells me that fifteen minutes yields no better results than six minutes. Especially in meetings, I err on the side of going too fast. If I need to slow down, most teams will raise their hand and tell me.

This brain dynamic is the topic for a recent book by Malcolm Gladwell, called Blink. “Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant, in the blink of an eye.” People will think quickly if you ask them to think quickly. -TF

Focus or Not

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There were twelve incredible opportunities staring at Roger, all of them saying, “Pick me!”

Once an organization gets some traction in their market, over the hump of cash flow and all that, the next biggest trap is the incredible opportunities.

As your company grew, everyone said, “You’ll never make it,” but your company did. Who is to say that your company cannot be successful at all of the other opportunities staring down at you?

Sometimes, the most important decisions that you make, are the decisions about what not to do. The growing organization needs to focus its efforts on becoming more successful at their core business. There will be plenty of time, later, to chase down that incredible restaurant deal or that mail order pharmacy company.

Disciplined focus, execution, not opportunities. Stay out of the trap. -TF

Partner’s Time Horizon

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Question:
I’m at wits end. Discussions with my partner are becoming more and more frustrating. He keeps making decisions that have a positive short term impact, but a negative impact in the long run. I try to sit down with him, but the conversation ends up with an argument. I usually back off just to keep the peace, but, sooner or later, the long term will catch up with us.

Response:
Who was it, Yogi Berra, who said “the future ain’t what it used to be.” You are correct. Q1-2005 is just around the corner, it is very short term, but five years ago, Q1-2005 was seriously long term planning. Here is an interesting question, “What decisions did we make 5 years ago that put us precisely in this predicament today going in to 2005?”

Interesting question, but there is more going on here. Your description is a classic dilemma between two people harboring different time horizons. Time Horizon is defined as:

  • The length of time a person can work into the future, without direction, using their own independent, discretionary judgment.

Some people have a one-day Time Horizon, others have one-week, one-month, three-months or a year. Some people can work into the future two years, or five years. Some, even 10 years, thirty years. The decision to build the Hoover Dam was made by a person whose Time Horizon was substantially longer than 5, or even 10 years. People have different Time Horizons, and it’s hard wired.

Finally, I am concerned about the quality of the conversation. To be productive, you have to recast the context of the discussion. In the beginning of the discussion, you have to grant permission to each other to disagree. (What the hell does that mean?) It means creating a structure where opposing viewpoints can be considered and explored. Right now, your structure is an argument. You don’t even explore your own point of view, you back off. Some of my clients use something as simple as the De Bono hats exercise. Each member of the discussion (even if it’s only two people) assumes a different point of view around the problem based on the color of hat they are wearing at the time. White might be legal, green -finance, yellow -short term impacts, blue -long term impacts. Each person argues their color, with passion, exuberance, turning over stones and exploring the extreme. Nobody backs off. The ending decision can now be made with more facts on the table, with all points of view appropriately considered. -TF

If you have a question to submit, you can e-mail: tfoster {at} fosterlearning {dot} org