From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
My company went to a big seminar last week, so now, we are on a big kick to “drive decision making down to the lowest level.” As a manager, I am not supposed to answer my team members’ questions. I am supposed to say, “I don’t know, what do you think?” Sometimes, my team members don’t think.

Response:
This is a noble idea, but as with most noble ideas, as a manager, you still have to make a judgment. Which decisions are appropriate to drive down? Some are, some are not.

Decisions can be measured by understanding the Time Span of the goal. If a team member has a goal that is due in one week, that creates a Time Span of Discretion of one week. Most decisions like this will be related to the pace and quality of the work.

For example. If a team member is to produce 100 units in a week’s time, they should have the Time Span of Discretion to decide at any given time, if they are ahead or behind schedule. They should be able to decide if they can work on other projects during that time or if they have to put other work aside to complete the 100 units prior to the end of the week. If they run into a problem that they can solve and still get the 100 units produced according to schedule, then they should solve the problem. If solving that problem will take so much time that it jeopardizes the production schedule, then their manager should immediately be consulted so appropriate adjustments can be made.

The Time Span of Discretion is an accurate gauge to determine which decisions should be driven down and which should be reserved for the manager.

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

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? Do you work in a nuclear facility or an ice cream parlor?

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.

These are the issues we talk about in Working Leadership Online. Our next Subject Area, Decision Making, Time Span of Discretion kicks off on Monday, February 22. Follow this link – Working Leadership Free Trial.

“I don’t like to think about it,” Roselle explained, “but I keep thinking that maybe I’m the next one to get a pink slip.”

“I know, in these times, it is tempting for a company to save overhead costs, to lop off heavier management salaries. And some companies have no other choice,” I replied. “But in times like these, we will see more volatile change than normal, and there will be more management decisions to make in response to that change. Management decisions cannot be made without a manager.”

“I don’t know about that. I have seen some boneheaded people making decisions in my day.”

“Of course you have. Sometimes we leave the wrong decisions to the wrong people. Some people make decisions through trial and error (in front of the customer). Some people are able to tap into their experience, or the experience of other people to see if we have ever solved that problem before. But I have to tell you, some problems you see today, have NOT been solved before. Those problems will require analysis, to get to the root cause before a decision can be made. It is those problems and those decisions which require a competent manager.”

What are the most important things you do in your role, as a manager? What is managerial work?

We answer emails, complete paperwork, sit through meetings, but when you strip away the fluff, the most important contribution we make, as managers, is to make decisions.

• Who should be assigned?
• How should something be done?
• Which goal has greater priority, today, right now?
• Are our methods effective?

Next Monday, February 22, Working Leadership Online kicks off our next Subject Area, Decision Making, Time Span of Discretion.

• Learn three proven ways to make better decisions.
• Understand this critical metric to determine who should be making which decisions.
• Understand the balance between facts and intuition in the decision making process.

If this strikes a chord in you, as a manager, this is your opportunity. We’ve reserved fifty slots for our friends and family to participate, on us. If you would like to reserve your spot, follow this link –

Working Leadership Free Trial

Looking forward to meeting you online.

“Look at all the great ideas,” Marcy announced. Indeed, the list was impressive. Three flipchart pages worth. “We used the problem solving model.”

• What is the problem?
• What is the cause of the problem?
• What are all the alternative solutions to the problem?

“It was really tough to suspend judgment during the meeting, but the ideas just flowed. Admittedly, some of the brainstorming came up with some really stupid solutions, but the team took parts of the stupid ideas and came up with several workable solutions. You should have seen the energy in the room.”

“So, tell me about the last step in the problem solving model?” I asked.

Marcy stopped. “The last step?”

“Yes, I see everyone high five-ing after the meeting, quite an upbeat mood, but if you don’t take the last step, nothing will happen and your meeting will have been wasted. I know you suspended judgment to come up with the ideas, but what are you going to do with that list?”

Marcy stared at the three pages. “Somewhere, in the pages of answers is the best solution, I know it.”

“What are you going to do?”

“The last step in the problem solving model is to pick the best solution. I guess I need to schedule another meeting.”

“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 you 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.”

“Alright, let’s take a vote,” Ralph directed. I was sitting in the back of the room. I watched the hands go up in favor of Ralph’s plan. There was no dissent. Meeting adjourned.

Ralph was proud, no opposition, he picked up his stuff and strutted out of the room. And that’s when the truth came out. It started as a whisper, a snide remark, and then the piling on began. As it turned out, no one was in favor of Ralph’s plan.

“What do you mean?” Ralph said as I settled into his office.

“I don’t think your plan has a chance for success,” I replied. “As you left the room, I got to thinking, wondering if your plan had covered all the bases, in fact, if it was even the right decision.”

“But, everyone voted,” Ralph protested.

I nodded. “Do you think voting is the best way to make a decision?”

“Hey, it’s how we elect a president?”

I smiled and repeated, “Do you think voting is the best way to make a decision?”

“Well, do you have a better way?” Ralph challenged.

“I was just looking at your four alternatives. You know, there were two things that were absolute deal killers and the one you picked doesn’t meet the criteria.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it this way, Ralph. Put up a big chart on the wall and make a quick list of all the things that absolutely, positively have to be a part of the solution. Deal killers. Then make a list of all the things that are not absolute, but would be really nice to have. Now you have two lists, absolutes and desirables.

“Take your four alternatives and put them up against the criteria and see how things shake out.”

Ralph didn’t say a word. His eyes got wide. I could see him mentally checking his quick list. “I think I need to bring the team back in the room. I think they voted for a mistake.”

“I tried,” Adelle shrugged, “but we didn’t make a whole lot of progress. What we ended up with was mostly crap.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“My team has been trying to figure out the best way to solve this problem and there are a bunch of ideas, but we just can’t reach a consensus on which way to proceed. I am afraid to get started until I know for sure that everyone is on board. But every time we make a compromise, other people drop off and want something different.”

“Sounds like Congress,” I laughed. “What happens to the quality of the solution every time you compromise?”

“That’s the real problem. It’s the compromising that kills it. After listening to all the input, I know what we should do and the little compromises just water it down. We might as well junk the whole project because, in this state, it will not do what the customer wants it to do.”

“Whose meeting was that that you just walked out of?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, was it the team’s meeting, or was it your meeting? Let me put it a different way. Who is your boss going to hold accountable for this decision?”

“Oh, I tried that once, blaming a decision on the team. I got the message. My boss is going to hold me accountable for the decision.”

“Then, it wasn’t a team meeting. It was YOUR meeting that the team got invited to. It is your responsibility to listen to the input, and it is also your responsibility, as a manager, to make the decision. And you don’t need agreement, you just need support.”

Adelle had to sit down to think about this one.

“Think about it,” I continued. “Time Span governs the timing of the action, the pace of the action, the urgency of the action, the ultimate quality of the action, the priority of the action and in many cases, whether the action occurs at all.”

Dale sat for a moment. “So, I run around here, telling people what to do. At the end of the day, when everyone has gone home, I try to figure out if I won or if the alligators won. The alligators win most of the time. I ask myself, what happened?”

“Whether the alligators win, is a very important question,” I responded. “But your analysis takes place after the fact. Analysis is important, but I am talking about design. Designing your day, designing your week. Management is all about decisions. And here are the most important decisions managers make.

• Timing
• Pace
• Urgency
• Quality
• Priority
• Necessity

“And there is one more decision managers have to make, the most important decision of all.”