Management Monday: Decisions, decisions…

It is well known that a great leader makes great decisions – and it’s hard to be a great leader unless you are able to do so.

However, that doesn’t mean that, as a leader, you ought to be making all decisions yourself, without getting anyone else involved. Taking the views of other team members on board can lead to better decisions and, ultimately, better results.

Equally, however, if you spend too long worrying about what others think, you may struggle to make any decisions at all, and nothing will ever get done. So how do you strike a balance between the two?

When you have a decision to make, bear in mind that your staff will be more likely to support something if they feel that they have been involved in it from the outset.

Imagine you are planning to introduce uniforms at work, in place of a previous policy of normal office wear. If you walk in one morning and tell staff that you have decided they will have to wear uniforms, it’s likely there will be some resistance and you won’t have their full support. However, if you approach them as a team and say you are considering whether uniforms would be a good idea, and you are looking for their input, you have a much better chance of them getting on board with your plans.

Not only that, but if you talk about it as a group and share ideas, you may find they have suggestions which you hadn’t considered. You might still introduce a uniform, but taking their views on things like practical styles and materials will make your staff feel they have made a valuable contribution.

Whatever the decision to be made, getting everyone involved at an early stage is always a good idea. Even if you ultimately do exactly what you had intended anyway, by showing willingness to engage with your staff and take on board their views, you are making it much more of a collaborative process – and you are far more likely to have a supportive team when you implement your plans.

Victoria

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