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Decisions, Decisions

09/09/2008

Chairman's Message

On a personal level, my decision-making prowess has been elastic.  While (in all modesty) my brilliant corporate decision-making has been conducted with ease, I seem to hit a brick wall with the softer stuff.  Pairing dotted ties with striped shirts or a chablis with Chilean sea bass can render me wracked with indecision and cause inner turmoil.  Hopefully, the wisdom that follows will resolve my problems and ensure your peace of mind (a double-header; the perfect way to end the summer).

Decisions, Decisions

Let’s face it, as a senior member of your organization’s leadership team, you live and breathe decisions. Some big, some small. All decisions, however, have consequences, and not approaching the decision-making process in a thoughtful and considerate manner can cost you dearly.

Consider the mess Edward Ashworth got into when he made the decision to change surgical supply vendors. As the new Operations Manager at his hospital, Ed was sweet-talked into what seemed to be, at the time, a great deal by a very persuasive salesperson.

He decided to switch brands of many standard inventory items; including sutures, gloves, masks, scalpels, and syringes without checking with anyone, figuring the major cost- savings alone would make him a hero. How much difference could there possibly be between one manufacturer’s latex gloves and another’s?

Well, you can imagine what happened when the surgical team found Ed’s “great deals” coming up short on quality. Out went most of the new inventory, and another order of standard supplies from the former vendor was made. It took Ed quite a while to re-establish credibility and trust with his boss and members of the surgical team after that incident.

Ed’s ego got in the way, for sure, but so did some other things. First, he failed to assess the situation – were the current supplies too expensive? Were there quality issues or price differentials that would warrant a change in vendors? Taking the time to examine an issue on all sides before moving ahead is the first step to making a good decision.

The second step is critical thinking. Had Ed stopped for a moment to consider why the new products were so much less expensive, he could have saved himself much pain and embarrassment. The ability to discern, analyze and evaluate all aspects of a particular situation is vital to a solid decision-making process.

Listening is the third step when coming to a decision. Ed failed to listen to anyone, because he didn’t ask questions. Had he spoken with someone who actually wore latex gloves in the OR and asked them what difference, if any, a less dense material would have on a glove’s quality, he would have learned plenty. This one question could possibly have alerted him to the fact that the new vendor was probably selling substandard supplies.

One additional step is required to arrive at the best decision possible: eliminate emotion. Ed’s choice to change vendors was very emotional; he was swayed by the salesperson and wanted to make a splash in his new position by saving lots of money.

One lesson Ed came away with from his “bargain basement” experience was to never act in a vacuum. When we make the mistake of taking on the decision-making process alone, we can lose perspective and act too quickly. Good leaders depend on those around them to offer advice, lend ideas, and act as sounding boards. 
 
By employing the steps outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to making better and more thoughtful decisions at your organization.

Management Quote:
 
I can see exactly what not to do at the moment.  No doubt through the usual process of elimination I'll arrive at my favourite strategy of total paralysis.
 
The Blind Eye:  A Book of Late Advice by Don Paterson

 

 

 

 

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