Decisions Making Cycle

Let's talk about the myth of the hero. Our popular culture is full of them: from the classic mythological heroes such as Achilles, Hercules or Gilgamesh, through the builders of nations such as Julius Caesar, Simon Bolívar, Alexander the Great, Kailil Balam, Joan of Arc or Bochica. All these characters have one trait in common: they are superior people with a unique vision that makes them, in fact, the only ones capable of making the right decisions. And the people must follow their leadership.

In organizations, we don't need heroes; we need agility.

A common mistake is to concentrate decision-making in one person, and this naturally creates bottlenecks and silos of command. However, an error that is also frequent, is making decisions without sufficient or correct information. There are three questions you need to answer:

Are you capable of making informed decisions? How long does it take you to do it? Do you get feedback on your decisions?

Let's break the myth of verticality: Decision Making is not a linear process. It is a cycle for which the organization must be prepared. A profound and necessary change in organizations that want to be agile is to delegate decision-making. Above all, those that solve day-to-day problems. In order to achieve this transition, all people must understand the importance of adequately solving problems, knowing the scope of their own decisions in others and, above all, enough data to make correct decisions.

Last but not least, we must promote “difficult conversations” where we listen the feedback on our decisions and the consequences, expected and unexpected, that those decisions had. Let's change the myth of the hero who solves problems alone for the culture of agile teamwork, where all of us fulfill the strategic objectives and accelerate the delivery of Value.