Progress, Not Perfection, Is Key to Decision Making
When It Comes to Decision Making, Aim for Forward Progress Over Perfection
As an emerging leader in your organization, it's essential to aim for effective decision-making rather than perfection. Striving for perfection can set you up for disappointment, given the ever-changing nature of business environments and market conditions.
Focusing on progress rather than perfection allows you to consistently contribute value and achieve successful outcomes over time. This approach enables you to celebrate small victories, evaluate recent developments, and adjust your strategies to maintain forward momentum. On the other hand, an obsession with perfection can lead to stagnation, overlooked minor details, and a pattern of underachievement, as true perfection is unattainable.
While adopting a progress-oriented mindset may initially seem challenging or uncomfortable, there are strategies that can ease the transition and reduce the anxiety often associated with moving away from a perfectionist mindset.
Anticipate Incomplete Insights
Ideally, decision-making involves having all the necessary information at your disposal. However, it's more common to encounter situations where information is scarce. The reality is, you won't have access to every single detail when you need to make a decision. Recognizing that some aspects will remain unknown is crucial for leaders. Accepting that you'll often work with incomplete data can alleviate stress and help you maintain momentum. Rather than trying to uncover every piece of information, concentrate on the most critical elements. This approach enables you to make informed decisions despite the constraints of limited information.
Seek Guidance From Others
A capable leader is open to soliciting advice and guidance. To address any gaps in knowledge within a specific area, engaging in meaningful conversations and seeking counsel is key. It's important to gather insights and viewpoints from a range of individuals. This approach ensures a well-rounded perspective on any project or challenge you face. Often, others may have gone through similar experiences and can offer valuable advice that helps bridge any informational voids. By actively seeking advice and drawing on the knowledge of others, you refine your decision-making process, enhancing clarity and significantly increasing the breadth of information at your disposal.
“Embrace the opportunity to adjust your approach upon recognizing an error and maintain composure in the face of unforeseen challenges.”
Maintain Connection with Your Choices
As an emerging leader, each decision you make is a learning opportunity, but it's important to acknowledge that mistakes are inevitable. No decision is foolproof, and errors are a natural part of the decision-making process. The crucial aspect of enhancing your decision-making capabilities and leadership skills is to remain engaged with your choices. Being proactive and attentive allows you to address mistakes and adapt your strategy when necessary. Treat your decisions as checkpoints for assessing and monitoring the advancement of any project, without overly focusing on the missteps. Embrace the opportunity to adjust your approach upon recognizing an error and maintain composure in the face of unforeseen challenges.
In Conclusion
To advance your projects and achieve success, focus on progress instead of striving for perfection. Be willing to adjust your expectations, especially during challenging decisions, to ensure optimal outcomes. Acknowledge the limits of your knowledge and seek guidance from others to make well-informed choices. Once a decision is made, commit to it, staying engaged to address any errors and keep moving forward.
About John Fildes
I grow the top line by connecting marketing to business strategy. By leveraging powerful positioning, content marketing, and client insights, I help organizations drive qualitative and quantitative results at scale.
I've built an amazing network of incredibly talented people over the years. What I've appreciated most is those who have invested in me, mentored me, and helped me become the talented professional I am today. I pay it forward by doing the same for other high performing professionals and entrepreneurs.
Learn More: Marketing Leader | Adept Entrepreneur | People Developer
All views are my own and not those of my current or prior employers.
