Make A Damn Decision

Today, on Bob Parson’s blog, Hot Points, Bob brings up the topic of making a decision. Quickly.

His headline, which quotes George S. Patton is, ” A good plan executed violently executed today is much better than a perfect plan tomorrow. “

I used to work for a CEO who did not think along this line. His mantra was more like, ” Let’s wait until there’s only one choice left and then jump on it. ”

It put his employess, sales people in particular, behind their competitors on more than one occasion.

I tired of the inability to get in line with what our industry needed us to do, and I left. I’m in a better place now and he’s missing a $3 million a year salesman.

Bob say’s ” I have always been known for making very quick decisions. I seldom spend a prolonged amount of time agonizing or pouring through voluminous amounts of information. Quite often after being apprised of the salient information relevant to any business decision — I usually know what to do. ”

One day, my old CEO asked me some questions about what I thought we should do about some of the happenings in our industry. I answered him each time as soon as the question was out of his mouth.

His reply was, ” You didn’t even think about those questions before you answered them.”

My reply was one that he didn’t appreciate. ” Has it ever occurred to you that I process information that quickly ? ”

I guess he thought I wasn’t capable of having already thought about those situations before his questions. I prided myself on being way ahead of the curve and that put me too far out of his grasp for him to handle.

I thought I knew every little thing that was going to happen before it happened. If I was ever surprised by which way the market tilted, it mad me work harder and spread my network of contacts even farther, so as to not have that happen again.

Even today, on the golf course, if I over-think a shot, it’s usually a bad shot waiting to happen.

Here’s what you need to do to make sure you don’t get paralysis by analysis.

1) Trust your gut instincts. They will rarely lead you astray.

2) Gather enough info to make the decision and then make it. Don’t get too much info, just enough to get it over with.

3) Be willing to be wrong and then adjust. Life’s all about adjusting.

4) Listen to those who should know more than you and consult those people that are closest to the heart of the matter.

5) Stay on top of your business by reading for more hours than you watch television.

What can you add to this list ?

What advice can you give to those that have a hard time making a decision ?