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Handling Those Affected by the Decision

Decisions affect lots of people: your employees, your boss, decision makers and divisions of your organization, and anyone who does business with you or your organization.

Your decision may have an affect on these people. As a manager, recall that you have a responsibility not only to consider them as you make the decision, but also to consider communicating with them once the decision has been made. And you must do this effectively, not just by direction.

One way to think about this is to “sell” your decision to others. Not sell as in actually making them want to buy it, but sell in the sense of explaining why the decision was made, the way it was made, and why the expected outcomes of the decision will be better for the organization. Along the way, point out why the outcomes will be generally better for everyone involved.

This requires good communication skills, but the most important skill is the willingness to address everyone honestly and directly. Speak personally with employees. Meet with fellow managers. Brief your boss personally and first. Provide people outside your organization with the information in the most appropriate way available; consult your public relations or sales personnel on this one.