Hard Decisions, Bad Habits and Your Energy
Are you facing some hard decisions? What differentiates the level of difficulty or is it only about comfort, risk, and confidence?
Organizations often make decisions about what things will look like next. They have some level of confidence because they’ve done the math, considered options, and set the timelines.
The decision feels good because they’ve prepared.
Yet it seems that somewhere in the organization there is a gap. Someone left out information, distorted the facts for their own agenda, or acted on impulse out of fear.
Real issues are not always brought to the table. There seems to be too much at stake.
If I speak up, my boss will dislike me.
I’m not really sure. I’ve learned to keep quiet.
Everyone else believes this is the right move, so I will just agree.
The end result of the avoidance to address real issues is often poor decisions.
Was the decision easy or was it hard?
Complexity of Habits
Decisions are more challenging when there are different ideas.
Go to a restaurant with fifty items on the menu, or go to a restaurant with five items on the menu. It is easier to pick from five rather than fifty.
There is one exception. The exception is knowing what you want in advance.
If you always order a cheeseburger, and stick with it, the choice isn’t hard. It’s about a habit, not change.
People and businesses can get stuck with habits.
They can get stuck when the decision feels harder than staying the same.
Hard Decisions
It’s easy to get distracted. It’s easy to only half-listen. Listening is hard work and that is why so many people listen less. Because it is hard, and takes extra effort.
The same often happens with decisions. The extra effort feels like a waste energy. Energy to get through the day, put up with the nonsense, or listen during the meeting.
The hardest decisions are often the poorest decisions. Not because they were hard but because no one cared enough to put in the energy.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
