When it comes to making major decisions, good leaders generally follow a rigorous process of data collection, analysis, option creation, debate, and choice.
The long-term consequences of a critical decision are far too large to leave to chance or an abbreviated decision process.
But leaders don’t have time to focus their attention and follow the same methodical process for the hundreds of less-pivotal decisions they need to make throughout the course of the year.
These are generally referred to as two-way decisions, meaning they are important but can be reversed and changed without significant disruption or discomfort to the team or organization. The majority of decisions leaders throughout the organization make on any given day are two-way decisions.
The fact that the decision can be changed with minimal disruption doesn’t mean leaders don’t take them seriously. To the contrary, good leaders know that performance and morale depend on getting most of these decisions right.
But with so many decisions to be made, they simply can’t devote the time and energy to ensure a quality choice for each one. So, they delegate decisions to others, while retaining enough involvement to know that bad choices are not being made.
Pushing down decisions to others is not only expedient but also necessary for developing other leaders.
Leaders at any level who grapple with a problem or opportunity, reach a decision, and then observe its impact, learn invaluable lessons about people, data, opinions, and strategy.
With every decision they are entrusted with, they become better decision-makers in the future.
To assist them with decision delegation, the best leaders ask and answer three foundational questions regarding any two-way decision they do not want to control.
- Who is the right person to make this decision?
- Who else should be involved in making it?
- Who else should have input?
Once they have a convicted answer to each question, they are now ready to pass the decision-making authority to the person they identified with the guidance of answers two and three.
They refrain from offering more advice or counsel but insist on who else needs to be involved or have input. With that limited guidance, the delegated decision-maker is set up for success.
Nearly every two-way decision must answer those three questions, whether the leader is delegating them or not. More than half the battle of making a quality decision comes down to who is making it and who else is weighing in.
Good leaders spend their time answering those questions and then pushing others into action.
It’s curious how good decisions typically are when the right person is tasked with making them.
Add to that recipe the ideal input and advocacy, and an organization is primed to make more quality decisions throughout the year.
Three simple questions. Use them to make your organization better.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
