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I've been interested in what it means to make good, long-term decisions for a long time. I entered a policy career fresh out of university, fired up and hopeful about shaping a better future for my community. I've spent my career working with senior leaders in business, government and community, helping them channel that focus.
Over the past decade, I've come across strong opinions about decision-making that I agreed with at first - but the more I learned and educated myself, the more I disagreed.
Here are some controversial opinions I'd like to share on decision-making after ten years and countless hours immersing myself in reading, learning and working at the coal-face with thousands of leaders.
Myth One: The right decision
Myth: There is a right decision
Reality: The right decision doesn't exist
Early in my career, I spent much energy aiming for accuracy. Hours of careful research and analysis went into shaping problems, framing options and making recommendations.
I truly believed that if I accounted for enough variables and stated a compelling enough case, I could find the mythical unicorn.
I no longer believe this.
As a decision's significance and time horizon increases, so does its ambiguity. There's no such thing as the right decision - not where accuracy is concerned.
Instead of accuracy, we need:
Alignment - with our big-picture goals and values
Flexibility - willingness to tweak, change and be wrong
Focus - on the most important variables at the exclusion of all else.
Get these three things, and we can achieve something together.
Myth two: Leadership omniscience
Myth: Leaders know something we don't
Reality: Leaders are making it up like the rest of us.
When I was younger, I thought the people at the top must know something we didn't, that they were superior beings who knew what was going on and could use that incredible wisdom to guide us.
This illusion was shattered for me by the age of 22 when I sat in a room with Ministers, CEs and local politicians and realised they had no idea what was going on.
This is a good thing. We can't expect our most senior leaders to be know-it-alls on every subject - and we don't want them to be. The skills they most need are different - long-term perspective, relationship-building, risk appetite, change-aptitude, and empowerment of others.
Myth 3: Robust approvals
Myth: Good decisions need robust approval processes
Reality: Most decisions should be delegated much further down
"Most people" do what "most people" do. That is, they escalate trivial decisions so far beyond the expertise required to make them that they are disconnected from the reality of their implementation.
Policy analysts shape the lives of vulnerable people with rules that make it impossible for them to thrive. General managers sign off on change programmes that make no sense. Recruitment choices are made by people who have yet to experience in that role. Minor procurement decisions are kicked around and rejected by people without involvement.
Which leads to…
Unworkable solutions
Disempowered staff
Wasted time and money
Loss of top talent and opportunities.
What "most people do" doesn't work.
Could you do something else? Instead of doing another restructure, review the decision structure of your organisation, taking every approval down to the lowest workable level. Trust people, and watch the magic happen.
Alicia McKay
