Leaders who delegate decisions naturally consider who the right person is to own the decision process and to make the final call.
The “right” person usually makes a world of difference. So, what goes into making this meta-decision (the decision about who decides) is worth weighing seriously.
At first blush, the decision seems relatively straightforward. Who has the deepest expertise, resources, and proven track record to best make this decision?
But those with an in-depth working knowledge of the issues often overplay their expertise and allow their pre-existing biases to influence the decision process and outcome.
Perhaps it is better to allow the person or team most affected by the decision outcome to own the process and choice.
Of course, those with self-interest in the outcome often influence the process to conclude with what works best for them and not the enterprise.
Another idea would be to select the decision-maker based on who can bring others along with the final decision, building subscription and buy-in from the ground up.
The downside of this approach would be to select a team member who is so good at consensus-making as to reach a compromise that is less than ideal.
For those decisions with high risk, perhaps the best call is to choose a decision-leader who will take their time, work to mitigate any risks, and thoroughly examine the choices from all angles.
Unfortunately, this decision-maker often takes forever to reach a conclusion. And that conclusion is often the most conservative choice possible.
While there are no absolute answers to who the right person is, the best leaders lean heavily on three critical factors when deciding on who should decide.
First, they select a decision-maker who has the capacity to focus on the decision and the resources needed to land on a great choice.
More important than expertise or track record, good leaders depend on others who have the bandwidth to spend the necessary time to reach a quality outcome.
Second, savvy leaders select decision-makers who have a clear sense of the stakeholders impacted by the decision.
They must understand how the stakeholders view the choices and the influence any decision will have on them. This outweighs any effects the decision will have on others who are less connected to it.
Lastly and most importantly, before delegating the decision, the best leaders already have a strong view regarding the criteria of success for the decision and what it must accomplish to be successful.
Without saying so, they often select a decision-maker they believe is already close to where they think the decision should land. Without promoting this view, they entrust a decision-maker who already aligns with their general perspectives on the issues and the likely options for a great decision.
Nothing is worse than a delegated decision that must be rejected by the leader who delegated it. By choosing a decision-maker who is already in alignment with how they see the issues, leaders prevent the possibility of a decision they can’t live with or that they regret.
When it comes to delegating important decisions, good leaders put a thumb on the scale.
