Every decision we make is a brick in our foundation

Most of us are uncomfortable making decisions when we don’t have a lot of information.

The idea of moving forward with very few data points is a terrifying prospect. Better to do additional research and get feedback and run a few more tests and then we can think about the possibility of maybe taking action.

But the thing we forget is, we learn by making all decisions, even bad ones.

Because decisions are progress. Each one we make is a brick in our foundation, even if its edges have a few cracks and chips.

But as my favorite economist once said, if you wait until you have a fully informed opinion, then it will be too late.

Falsani’s inspiring book about the intersection of popular culture and spirituality describes her favorite film protagonist in a similar way:

A man is paralyzed by the choices he wasn’t able to make. And the paralysis led to the calcification of his heart. Afraid to make a decision, take a chance and reach out for the love he deserves, he passes through life like a sleepwalker. But waiting for clear confirmation that a decision is exactly right is a recipe for mediocrity and almost a guarantee of eventual failure.

Decision making, then, is not only a business practice, it’s a spiritual practice as well.

Think about it.

It involves having faith in our own judgment. It involves having faith that we made our decision for a reason. And it involves having faith that if we make someone on our team a little upset with our initiative, they will still forgive us because of the forward momentum our decision created for the project.

As woo woo as that sounds, it really does a measurable impact on company growth. The daily practice of making small decisions, in real time, that are good enough for now, even with a dearth of information, affects the bottom line.

Gilt is a perfect case study. The founder of the online shopping group is often asked why his famous sales always take place at noon every day. To which he replies:

Wwell, we had to pick a time, so we just picked it. We literally spent ten minutes on that decision. And now there are hundreds of thousands of people who orient their schedules around our sales.

This is the ultimate definition of empowerment.

The ability to make decisions that have a tangible influence on our work.

It sure beats researching ourselves into a corner. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you need more information, or do you need to decide?