Use Cathy Harris’s top tips to own the decision-making process for you and your executive
With the demand for office professionals to be more strategic and project-driven, we need to make decisions on behalf of our executives and managers. This can often be seen as an absolute no-no for some, but for others, it is an opportunity to discover why the decision is important and how it impacts your role as both a leader and a decision-maker. Yes, you heard that correctly. You manage the leadership of your organization, which in turn confirms your status as a leader, and shows you are ready to take the next step in your strategic development to make decisions on their behalf.
Building the Strategic Partnership
It all starts here. Building mutual trust and accountability, where your executive knows they can trust and depend on you. Trust in itself is certainly an attribute that needs to be earned, and how we do this is by ensuring that we can deliver on all the basic tasks requested of us, with exemption and excellence, that we are true to our word, and can efficiently deliver on commitments made. Our work ethic needs to exemplify integrity and honesty. It is when you reach that point of maturity in your role, and you and your executive are both aligned on goals, projects, key performance areas, and everything in between, that the relationship of trust and confidence starts to play out. It’s like a wonderful partnership, where both parties rely and depend on each other to make decisions that are well thought through and which will have a positive result.
Understanding your executive’s KPIs and objectives
Becoming actively involved in business projects, and understanding what outcomes are required, are the first steps in owning the decision-making process, and at the same time understanding how a decision will impact an outcome. Being familiar with the organization’s culture, goals, and current projects, including the associated budgets provides you with insight into making the right decision. Another attribute to consider is to use your critical thinking skills to navigate your decision-making effectively, which means asking lots of questions, questioning answers you are given, and considering the outcomes should various options present themselves. It should never be a straight Yes or No decision when it impacts budget, people, or products.
Discernment
Being able to effectively differentiate between decisions you know you can make independently of your executives and those requiring your executive’s guidance, or the guidance of other parties is crucial before committing to a decision. You may be tempted to assume that because you and your executive have worked together for many years, and know each other well, and you feel comfortable that a decision you make will be okay. Always check in first, as often, a prior discussion, or decision amongst your executive team could have already taken place, and it would be inappropriate to counter a decision that has already been made. There are certain decisions that you know for sure you can make on your own, as you have already received permission and blessings to do so, for example, ordering stationery, confirming flight details, etc. Trust your intuition and be cautious in your decision-making. Ensure that you have collated all the correct information and reviewed all the possible options.
Making Mistakes
Making the wrong decision can be damaging to your reputation, your manager’s, and your organization. It could result in loss of money, fines, or even legal action being taken against you or your organization. Always make sure that decisions you and your executive make are compliant with your organization’s standard operating procedures, are ethical and in the case of people, are fair and in line with the company policy. Using vendors that are not on your organization’s preferred supplier list should always first be vetted by your procurement department, and employing staff should align with the organization’s employment process which ensures fair and equal opportunity for all applicants. Taking gifts in place of making a decision that will favor one person or business over another is unethical and could result in dismissal. This is why integrity and honesty in decision making is key. Always challenge decisions that do not align with company policy, even if it is your executive making that decision.
We all have a role to play in making the right decisions. Effective decision-making helps to streamline existing processes and enables us to identify problem areas, evaluate our options, and choose the best course of action to resolve challenges in the decision-making process, more effectively.
Always align with company policies and procedures and ensure that decisions you make are compliant with the rules of engagement and ethics. If you are unsure, always ask or reference policy or best practice, because if we are not mindful and make bad decisions, it could lead to quite a messy situation of embarrassment for your executive, or even level consequences. Always question before making any material decision. Remember to analyze the requirement or situation before you take it upon yourself to decide, and if you do, you need to be accountable for the outcome.
Top Tips to Make the Right Decision
Below, (in no particular order), is a quick list of top tips to refer to before making decisions:
- Check-in with your executive for their view
- Ask loads of questions
- Don’t make quick, off-the-cuff decisions.
- Think about the outcome that is required.
- Remove all emotion from the process.
- Use experience to guide you.
- When decisions are complex, break the options down and compartmentalize them.
- Consider the impact of the decision.
- Your integrity and discernment are great flags in your decision-making process.
- Always make sure you have all the facts and evidence before committing to a decision.
- Seek opinion and input from your executives or managers.
- Accepting responsibility should things go south.
- Accept the opinions of others as this will help shape your decision.
As an Assistant, you can more effectively support your executive and make informed decisions on their behalf, when equipped with the right approach.
All the best!
