Do you find there are times when it’s difficult to make decisions in your business?

Sometimes they just come to you. Just like that. You know it in every fibre of your being and then sometimes, it’s like wading through treacle.

Here are some suggestions for why this is and what to do about it:

You need to make a decision about something you have little or no experience on

Then it’s likely that it is your internal survival system that’s keeping you stuck. Ask yourself “what am I worried might happen if I do and what might happen if I don’t?” It’s likely your fear is based on something that’s not really relevant to the current situation and recognising this will help you make the decision and take action. And if the concern is relevant then keep asking “and then what will happen?” until you have all the possible scenarios laid out in front of you. Either you will get the clarity you need to make a decision or you’ll recognise that this may well be an area of your business where you need additional support and guidance.

You are limiting your options

If you are in a yes/no scenario or have only two options then you are limiting your capacity to make a choice. What you have is a dilemma. What you need is the opportunity to make a choice. Brainstorm all the possible options that could be considered in making this decision – even those “out there” ideas that normally don’t get to see the light of day. As an absolute minimum ensure you have 3 choices on the table. Then work through the pros and cons of each, your decision will come easier and you’ll have more confidence in it too.

You don’t know if it will work

Deciding to take action on something you believe to be unique to your market can feel like you’re taking a bigger risk than you’re ready for.

This is where having a mentor is useful. Do your research and establish whether it has in fact been tried before and what the outcomes were. And if it hasn’t then approach it with a “beta mindset”. Just try it on a smaller scale and see what happens.

You are using a logic only approach

Whilst undoubtedly you need to apply logic to your decisions, if you ignore the other parts of you that can influence your decisions then you are making it all much harder than it needs to be. What other techniques have you used in the past to help influence the decisions you need to make? It may be something like going for a walk or a swim, painting the garden fence or washing the car. By connecting your brain and your body and letting go of needing an outcome your brain can get on with working it out without your logical interference!

You’re too close to see the possibilities

This can be true, especially if you run a purpose or values driven business. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that you are not, in fact, your business. Yes, you may well be the face of your business, but it is a very separate entity. So take yourself out of the picture, imagine for a minute the decision you have to make is actually your client’s decision. What questions would you be asking them? What is the bigger picture they would be trying to achieve? And if you think this is not a decision your client would need to make, try pretending it’s the business of someone you network with regularly. Disassociating yourself from the business, just enough to help make your decision, will make it much easier to find the answers you are looking for. Making decisions can be tough and often, they are like buses and arrive, needing resolution all at once. If you’re going to make a success of your business, it’s vital that you get to be confident and resourceful about making decisions. And remember, leveraging your network is a great option too.

And finally, I bet you’ve heard it said before, any decision is better than no decision. If that’s triggering your run-away claxon then please, before you slip into your running shoes, take a look in the mirror. Is the person looking back at you, in the habit of making rash, unresearched and reckless decisions? I’m pretty confident that if you took the time to read this all the way to the end then the answer is no! Trust yourself, be brave, do the work and then just flippin’ do it!

Are there any other ways that you are challenged to make a decision in your business? We’d love to hear about them!