What Informs Your Decisions

A few weeks ago, we spoke about making better decisions. But what if an impending decision leaves you sleepless, uncomfortable, even frightened? 

If brainstorming options, creating a list of pros and cons and consulting expert advice and other approaches do not help with your decision, there may be a more significant obstacle at the source of it. 

1 – Leading Thought

2 – You Choose

Let’s get to the core of what informs our decisions. If you know the source, you can trace back your choices and understand why you may have difficulty with some decisions.

Your values inform your decisions. Even when people and information influence decisions in your organization, your values navigate you through your decision process, not just data.

For example, let’s say you are in charge of a new initiative. You have all the data, and they are in favor of a specific decision within the initiative. Still, you are not comfortable with the decision. The decision goes against a core value you hold. If one of your core values is safety and the decision would violate that value, your integrity is at stake.

Integrity is also a value, but it unites core values inside of it. So when you violate a core value, your integrity is violated, and you will sense an imbalance or misalignment.

Many times, people cannot “put their finger on it” and wonder what is going on. There seem to be hidden obstacles holding back a decision that “should be so easy,” as one leader stated.

Once we uncovered the core value and its violation, the obstacle became clear to him. The clarity allowed him to articulate his concerns beyond the data.

As a result, there was a well-rounded discussion with his other leaders, and a different route was taken as a result – one that allowed this leader to make decisions he could stand behind – in line with his core values.

Amenable outcomes aren’t always the case. What the awareness of your core values will do is also polarizing. In the example above, this leader was mentally prepared to handle the consequences of honoring his values requiring him to take a stance and walk away. It didn’t come to that, but it removed the hidden obstacle, the wandering/wondering mind, and the indecision.

3 – Way to Grow!

Here is how you can get in tune with your core values and put them to use:

• Identify your values (course video + free worksheet) – Two 3 min. videos plus 10 min. exercise
• The Impact of Your Values – (leadership course) – 4 min. video
• Primary Greatness by Stephen Covey (book summary) – 16 min. read / audio

Here’s to leading with great choices!

LC#9