As men, we’re called to be leaders, whether it be at the workplace, in our communities, in our families, and even of our own selves.
And part of that leadership comes in the making of decisions.
Decisions are easy to make when times are easy. But when crises hit, most men wilt. Too many men today are afraid of making mistakes that affect other people, and so they tend to NOT make decisions at all, or pass on the responsibility to someone else.
This attitude leads to mediocrity because it’s in risking that we get rewarded.
Now, if the idea of being responsible for making crucial decisions strikes a bit of fear in you, then don’t worry. I’m not judging you. But for your sake and the sake of the people counting on you, you might want to learn the simple decision-making system I’ll outline in this article.
It’s a system that helps you make decisions WELL BEFORE the storms come.
Making Decisions Before a Crises Hits
Leaders begin with the goal in mind, followed by the plans and strategies his team has agreed upon to achieve that goal.
Your goals will be different depending on the context – for instance, your goals for the workplace will be different from your goals for your family.
But no matter the context, the system is the same: You list down every conceivable task you and your team will be doing, and then prioritize them according to urgency or importance.
As a result, you create a sort of “flowchart” that tells you exactly WHAT to do at ANY given situation. That way, you won’t be burdened with making decisions at every turn – the flowchart makes the decision for you, well ahead of time.
Here’s an example of a “flowchart” for a man who, say, works from home:
- Do whatever the wife or kids need me to do (babysitting, chores, driving to school, etc.)
- Take care of self (workout, eat, groom, etc.)
- Client coordination
- Working
- Marketing
- Other things
Here’s a “flowchart” for a man who, say. works in the production department of a company:
- All urgent tasks first
- Attend any necessary meetings, make any necessary calls
- Working on non-urgent tasks
- Working on non-urgent revisions/corrections
- Then everything else
And here’s a “flowchart” for a man who wants to live a complete life:
- Spiritual life first
- Family and self next
- Then work
- Then hobbies
- Then friends
- Then everything else
That way, when you’re made to choose between two or more tasks in ANY situation in life, you don’t need to make a decision in the heat of the moment. Instead, you just refer to your flowchart and find the task that’s highest on the list — and go do THAT, no matter how you feel.
This decision-making system helps leaders in governments, militaries, religions, and businesses all over the world. And it can help you, too. You just need to know what your goals and priorities are.
Do that right now. What is most important to you? Create your own flowchart and go.
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Photo: Getty Images