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Making the Decision: Is It Yours to Make?

Here’s the first decision you have to make: Do you really have to make this decision?

Sounds like a dumb question, but it’s not! Your first task in any decision-making situation is to make certain it is your responsibility to make this decision. Sometimes we all have a tendency to rush into a situation and “fix it.” Often, that calls for some decision making. Yet, if we took the time to think about it, the situation may require a decision by someone else, not us. How to decide?

Start with the situation. Does it require a decision right now? Are you the person who logically should make the decision? If it isn’t a crisis or emergency, would you still be the one to make the decision? If the answers to these questions are yes, then make the call.

If, however, the answers are no, then it may be someone else’s decision to make. Next questions: Are they there to make the decision? Is there time for them to do so? If not, perhaps you will need to make the decision for them.

If time is not of the essence, then consult with anyone involved to determine whose decision it is to make.