As a counterpoint to last week’s blog on analysis paralysis, let’s talk about the other extreme end of the spectrum: extinct by instinct. This is the result of making a choice without due consideration. This kind of recklessness can result in an unforced error that can be detrimental (or even fatal) to a business.
So, how do you know when you should take the time to think a decision out, and when you should avoid the over-analysis that leads to missing an opportunity? To better understand the problem, let’s use the example of understaffing, since that’s a challenge that many businesses are facing these days.
Time Constraints
The first consideration is what your time constraints are. When it comes to any kind of decision-making, you should be keenly aware of the deadline, the point at which you have no choice but to pick a path. Analysis paralysis, like we explained last week, can sabotage you into failing to make a decision before that point-of-no-return, in which case you’ll no longer be in control. Extinct by instinct, on the other hand, can lead you into making such a hasty decision that you make a bad one. Understanding the timeframe is key to striking a balance. Even if you’re unsure exactly how long you have to decide, you will know when you’re being pressured to decide too quickly.
In the context of tackling a short-staffing problem, you might feel compelled to hire someone—anyone!—just to make sure you get schedule coverage. But if you feel like you have to make that decision with little-to-no time to think about it, how can you trust it’s the right choice? Wait too long and that candidate might get swept up by a competitor; but if you rush, you might end up doing more harm by missing out on someone better.
Experience
The second consideration is whether the challenge you’re facing is something you’ve seen before. Maybe you’ve dealt with short-staffing in times past. Maybe you’ve seen the consequences of understaffing and how that can really impede your ability to conduct business. That’s a legitimate fear, one that might spur you into fixing the problem as soon as possible.
But you also know the detriments of hiring the wrong people, the deleterious effects a bad fit can have on the rest of your team. This is especially important because once you commit to a new hire, you may be hesitant to admit the mistake because you don’t want to restart the hiring process all over again, especially if you invested training into this person.
Outside Counsel
Striking a balance between trusting your gut and prudent analysis is tough. It’s very easy to act too quickly or too slowly. Even when you’ve had experience to fall back upon, even when you’re fully aware of the time constraints you’re facing, you may still feel the pressure to decide too quick, or you may feel the temptation to mull the decision over and over again until it’s too late. It’s a matter of haste makes waste versus think long, think wrong. As a leader, you’ll have to make the final decision. But a wise leader also seeks outside counsel to fill the gaps in his or her experience and to expediate the analysis so as to not waste precious time.
The Brandt Group is a customer-service and sales consultancy. We make the customer experience our number one priority, and given our thirty years in business working with clients like you, from almost every industry available, we’ve seen a lot. We’ve also got a big-picture perspective for identifying the qualities of great leaders, the hallmarks that transcend industry and are universal.
We can help you improve the leadership skills of you or your managers through our training classes. We can help you take a hard look at all of your customer service and sales processes to ensure they’re all running well—before a problem arises and you’re forced into making a high-pressure decision. Through our world-class mystery shopping services, you can get the right kind of data for your analysis, the information that really matters and won’t distract you. That’s how you end up with quality employees rather quick fixes.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get a conversation started, and together, we’ll tackle whatever challenges come your way.
