Management In A Changing World

CHAPTER 5MAKING DECISIONS AND PRIORITIZING

“In a fractal conception, I am a cell‐sized unit of the human organism, and I have to use my life to leverage a shift in the system by how I am, as much as with the things I do. This means actually being in my life, and it means bringing my values into my daily decision‐making. Each day should be lived on purpose.”

—adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds

What have you eaten today? Which friends have you texted? Which messages have you left unread?

We face countless choices every day. We decide how we spend our time, what emails to respond to, and how to spend money. Everything within our sphere of control is a potential decision that could impact our teammates, culture, and results.

For managers, our positional power raises the stakes. Positional power means more choice points, authority, and responsibility to make bigger decisions. We are responsible for the consequences of our choices on our staff, results, and organization. And, as managers, how we make and communicate decisions can make or break people's trust in us.

Oh, and let's not forget that no matter our positions, we rarely have all the information we need. We grapple with change and uncertainty, which bring instability and self‐doubt, making it harder to be clear, confident, and decisive.

How we approach decisions is what separates conspire‐and‐align from command‐and‐control. The most effective managers and leaders conspire ...