How To Make Decisions That Will Affect Your Team

Making a decision can be hard enough when it comes to yourself, but double as difficult when it comes to decisions that affect other people.

However, a big part of a manager’s job description is doing just that.

Instead of shying away from this task, learn how to make smart decisions to improve the productivity within your team.

Ask yourself these questions before making any decision affecting your team:

Does this benefit the long term vision for the department?

There are a multitude of choices about taking on new projects or new clients, improving operations or introducing new software.

The most important question to ask yourself before making a decision in either direction is if it will benefit the long-term vision for the department.

In medium-to-large-sized companies, there are a lot of decision-makers who often make competing decisions that end up wasting resources or not amounting to sufficient results.

To avoid this, always consider the end goal and make sure the decision’s results will help you get there.

Do my employees have the skills and resources to accomplish this goal?

It may seem enticing to open a new franchise in another country, but do you have employees that speak the language and are willing to relocate?

If not, do you have the resources to invest in finding and training new employees?

Before making a decision, it’s important to evaluate your current situation and make sure you have qualified staff and allocated resources to help you achieve the goal.

What do you employees think about this?

The truth is a manager does not need to make a decision by themselves.

You have hired and trained your employees;therefore, you know that their opinions matter and their voices are valuable.

If you are making a decision that will affect them, why not involve them in the decision-making process?

Why might my employees be resistant to this?

If an idea seems great to you, but you have discussed it with your teammates and they have voiced some concerns, don’t just dismiss them without giving them careful thought.

Managers often ignore their employees and think that they are simply lazy or pessimistic, when they may simply be seeing a piece of the puzzle that you have missed.

If you know that your employees are professionals in their own rights, give them the time to explain their concerns, and work together to address them without simply ignoring them and moving on.

Thanks again

Mark Williams

Senior Management Trainer and Consultant

MTD Training