“Be Quick to Decide” is a recommendation many people give, most recently Bob Parsons, the billionaire founder of GoDaddy.com. However without due thought into what this actually means, you may quickly end up making pre-mature, poor decisions.
Being Quick to Decide does not mean making decisions in a short period of time — nor can you use it as an excuse to circumvent due diligence. I therefore like to recommend being quick to decide — but don’t make the decisions too early! First ask yourself when a decision is needed before you proceed.
In a project, the project manager is often challenged to make decisions on the spot, however in most cases a decision is not required at the time, and you could benefit from going through regular due process instead.
Many of you have heard of the term “groupthink” — when a project team is small and cohesive, your team is prone to fall into the mode of “groupthink” in stressful situations. Most people naturally want to avoid tension, and the need for support and agreement between the group members may limit the amount of critical thought going into the situation. It takes experience, character and discipline to spot groupthink and to resist the temptation of making decisions before they are needed.
Let’s take an extreme example to illustrate. If I tell you that of the three doors in front of you, only one contains a prize. Which door would you choose?
People prone to taking premature decisions would simply make a selection.
However, what if I would tell in my next sentence that “Behind door A is a Mercedes Benz”, most people would agree that it would have been beneficial to wait…
Yes, a bit unrealistic and extreme example, I agree, but you get the point.
Making the decision too early may mean that you are making the decision without having a full understanding of the problem at hand, you might not have the right people involved in providing the information, and you may not understand the alternative solutions available.
Yes, there is a a time and a place for when quick, on-the-spot decisions are needed. However, this is the first question you should ask yourself: When do I need to make a decision? Then go from there.
Vik Bulletin 