We make 35,000 decisions everyday. Most of them are easy, but the hard ones can cause a lot of grief, especially when you have to move quickly or there are strong conflicting opinions.
You might have an AWS software developer disagreeing with an iOS developer about how a search function should work. Subcontractors might be bickering about what needs to be done first. Finger pointing ensues.
You try to massage the correction solutions out but no luck, both parties are adamant.
It’s actually easy to navigate these situations when you have a few techniques up your sleeve. You can use Brand Core Values, Polls, Historic Examples or PickFU.
Core values. The way to build a strong brand and a strong product is through a consistent presentation of your brand’s message across all channels.
For example, if you’re a green brand, this can come down to the type of van you buy for your meal delivery service.
Refer to your core values when you face an impasse. Pick the option that is closer to your core values and proceed.
Communicate that you’ve used this process to the conflicting parties and you’ve removed the emotive side of it, you’ve made a decision and you’ve not made yourself the central figure of the conflict.
Poll people. When the options in the decision are too similar to split with your brand’s core values, simply ask other people. You can take this as far as it needs to go. Consult an expert or mentor about the issue and reference their input as the guide to convince any stubborn individuals.
Use examples. Look for examples of similar decisions made before. This is particularly true in the tech space when you are in the midst of prototype design or even when building a Wix website.
The thing to avoid is reinventing the wheel. Being able to identify a similar situation that has occurred in the past and pointing to an existing success will leave any opposing views stranded.
When all else fails, use PickFU. This sounds like an ad for PickFU now, but it’s not. It’s simply a massive time saver, especially for entrepreneurs who follow their gut.
You can get hard, black and white data on your decision options super-quick.
If you do everything mentioned here, and you’re still stuck, the ship is sinking, then simply pick one, test and review. You might upset someone, you might move away from a certain direction, whatever, you’ve moved forward and you can learn from it whether the decision was right or wrong. So long as you make sure to analyse the result.
Let us know about how you deal with tough decisions!