I partner on projects with a couple of coaches who admit they over-complicate things: thinking through too many potential scenarios, creating PowerPoint slides with lots of words, or writing extensive details into a statement of work. My philosophy? Make the decision and get going, use headlines and graphics instead of words, keep everything to less than a page.
While there is value in taking time to make sure all the t’s and i’s are correct, there is also the risk of paralysis analysis. Whenever decision-making comes up with clients, I share the story from Colin Powell’s biography. His belief was when a commander has 40-70 percent probability of being correct, it’s time to move. Otherwise, the enemy will outflank them.
Of course, the 40-70 rule may not be appropriate for every field – such as health care – yet I think every leader has a range that’s right for them. The key is to start paying attention to your decision-making mindset and notice when you knew you knew. You’ll home in on where you feel most confident… and decrease the risk of moving too slowly.
