For God's sake, Sir: make a decision

"For God's sake, Sir: make a decision, right or wrong".

A friend who was a Major in the British Army told me that this is the mantra of the soldier. Indecision means that there are no orders. Without orders there is inertia. And inertia results in the loss of the battle.

In some settings this philosophy is absolutely appropriate. In the face of an advancing enemy or terrorist threat, decision makers have to think and act quickly. But every effective organisation, whether military, commercial or philanthropic, makes decisions in the context of a considered strategy.

Too many business decision makers use the threat of a metaphorical advancing enemy to justify knee-jerk reactions. There is a certain machismo associated with crisis management, packed schedules and conflicting priorities: an implication that leaders and managers simply cannot afford the luxury of reflection. And so they lurch from crisis to crisis, secure in the knowledge that they are indispensable to the survival and 'smooth running' of the operation. 

There is a better way. Once in a while, leave your laptop in your bag and look out of the window on your train journey. When faced with a business dilemma, go for a walk. When you are struggling to decide between two courses of action, talk to a colleague who is not directly involved. Stop attending the least productive meeting of the week and use the time to read an article about a subject that interests you. Stop. Think. Then act: in a considered and purposeful way, consistent with your strategy.

That is the spirit of this blog: a place where I will take time to reflect on issues, choices and approaches, with the aim that my work will be all the more effective and useful as a result. I hope that it will stimulate and add to your thinking also.

STOP.THINK.START