What to do, when decisions go sour?

Executives—using one method or another—somehow manage to make decisions. But only a small percentage of decision-makers know how to proceed when a decision goes wrong. And remember, even the most carefully considered, well-planned decision can turn sour. Five positive moves may save the day:

Recognizing.

his move is a “must” prelude to all the others. Clear-headed, honest recognition of the fact that, on this particular decision, you have come up with a clinker. It may not be your fault at all. Other people, other forces, other events may be wholly or partially responsible. But whatever the cause, there is nothing to be gained by clinging to a losing situation. Executives who don’t—or won’t—recognize the inevitable, who are determined to make a decision work, to stick it out come what may, are only compounding wrong. Your lead: to accept the losses, analyse the causes, try to recoup what you can.

Reversing.

Many a decision is the result of a multi-step process. From Step A to Step B to Step C … and on and on till the final stage is reached. Somewhere along the line you may have tripped. Can you, after thinking things out, retrace your steps to the point where the misstep occurred? Backtrack from E to B, for instance? Then revising B, begin a subsequent series of steps, this time in the right direction? If so, you’re halfway home.

Replacing.

There will be times when you have a decision that looks great—on paper. You’ve followed all the proper procedures, made all the right moves, said all the right things. Then, in execution, up pops a weak link. And trouble. Does this mean that your idea is not workable? Not at all.

Take the case of the executive who decides to set up a permanent team to handle the selling of a new product, Tom, Seth, and Gene, his three best producers. But it turns out that their sales go down, not up. Why? Analysis of the situation shows that Seth is the culprit, missing orders that he should land. Does the executive scrap the team idea? Indeed not. His original decision is still a good one; only the weak link needs replacing. Seth goes back to his old selling assignment. Jack joins the team on the new.

The weak link replaced, the decision can look good again—on paper and in execution.

Revising. In some instances, of course, a decision-turned-bad can’t be remedied by simply replacing or retracing. Accordingly, major surgery is called for, a complete revision of the original plan. Now’s the time to ask yourself, “Do I have an alternative? is there a workable Plan B that I can substitute for unworkable Plan A?” Undoubtedly, in arriving at Plan A you had considered other ways, other means of achieving your objective. Can one, or a combination of these, with additions, subtractions, amendments, successfully serve your purpose? Possibly it can.

This stage, incidentally, may call for consultations up, down, and along the line.

Reviewing. Results are the proof of the decision-making pudding. When they go wrong, analyzing when, why, how can teach you a great deal. About your own decision-making ability. About techniques that need sharpening. About pitfalls to be avoided. About planning, performance, people. Failure often triggers more knowledge than success.

A Decision less Decision

Is it possible to “make a decision” without making one? In a sense, yes. Company president William Mott is fed up with his assistant. The young man seems to have lost the interest he originally had in his job. His performance is sloppy, even careless.

Repeatedly, Mott has tried to face up to the situation and make the decision to fire his subordinate; but somehow, although he has marched up to the hurdle repeatedly, he can’t bring himself to take the jump.

Then one day his subordinate comes in late; he fails to do an important job that Mott has assigned, and takes a coffee break that stretches to a full hour. When the young man reappears, Mott, carefully restraining his irritation, calls the young man and suggests that he find a job better suited to his abilities and interests. After it is all over, Mott feels greatly relieved. Actually, the young man takes the firing so agreeably, the company president realizes the assistant also was in favour of the move.

“Why didn’t I make that decision months ago?” Mott asks himself. Under the pressures of the moment, he had acted without the considered thinking we call decision-making.

The Mott case indicates an interesting aspect of decision-making. Essentially, a decision is a resolve to take action, and from time to time situations may arise where the executive takes decisive action without necessarily thinking of the move as a decision. However, such actions obviously are decisions, or rather are prompted by a decision made unconsciously and spontaneously.

So, it seems that in some situations you can “decide” without consciously making a decision. Just beware of the pitfall to such executive action: sometimes the spontaneous decision can kick-back. For example, executives have fired subordinates on the spur of a moment’s anger or irritation—and regretted the act.

A general approach to handling problems

Your personal attitude can help build a strong approach to dealing with problems. Here are the key elements that make for effectiveness:

1. Develop a “can-do” attitude.

There is more to this concept than meets the eye. Psychologists have proved again and again that the individual who is optimistic about his ability to solve problems has a much greater chance of doing so than his pessimistic opposite number. In the area of practical problem-solving, the manager who goes on the assumption that a problem can and will be solved, is halfway to his goal.

2. Mobilize the creativity of your people.

It has been proved repeatedly: we all have unplumbed depths of imagination and ingenuity. Develop the practice of posing challenging assignments and problems to your people to stimulate their creativity. They’re not likely to let you down.

Most of us respond favourably to the excitement of a challenge. Many of us will work our fingers to the bone to come up with an answer to a difficult problem because we hunger for the feeling of self-esteem and the increased respect of colleagues and co-workers when we score a breakthrough. Your subordinates’ “need to achieve” can supplement your own.

3. Break problems down to bite-size.

Some work situations cannot be coped with because they’re too vast or complex. For example, one manager was told by his boss, “In the next year, we’re going to be replacing every piece of equipment in your department. Your em¬ployees are all going to have to relearn their jobs, develop new skills.”

The problem of retraining about 40 people in a dozen different skills, and still keep things running on a regular basis is clearly tre¬mendous. But the department head made his first step an effective one. He got down to cases. He spelled out what each employee needed in order to handle new assignments. Once he had done this he was able to set up schedules that permitted each employee to get the training that was needed to make the transition.

4. Make the distinction between “gradual” and “crash” solutions.

Some of the problems executives face can be solved over a long period of time. When the problem you face is of this character, a policy of “gradualism”—that is, piecemeal and consistent planning—gets you off the hook.

However, some management problems are “emergency” or “rush.” Here’s where you’re under deadline pressure and simply can’t stretch out your thinking about the problem, or take your time developing solutions to fit problem situations.

You strengthen your approach by using “crash” tactics. Whether you use a brain-trust or maintain close contacts up the line and with staff experts, give yourself the advantage of multiple brainpower. Don’t hesitate to draw on the mental resources and experience of other people in your company—subordinates, specialists, colleagues, and so on.

Identifying The Problem

It has been said that a problem identified is half solved. An incident in an engineering class makes the point:

• An engineering instructor tells a group of beginning students, “Here’s a problem. Make up a sketch for a bridge to cross a river a mile wide.”
• The solutions come in describing suspension, cantilever, and viaduct designs.
• The instructor gives all the papers but one a failing mark.

“Only one student is on the right track.” He reads from the win¬ning paper: “No solution is possible unless we know more about t!•e problem.” Some of the missing elements: how wide a channel must be allowed for navigation? How high must the span be above the channel? How much traffic is the bridge to bear?

Each one of these factors is a part of the problem. Each one must play a part in the solution.

In thinking about a problem situation, these steps keep you on track:

1. Don’t assume you know the problem.

• You can’t come to grips with a difficulty unless you know-
• The background—how long has it existed? How bad is it? And so on.
• The causes of the problem—what factors have brought it about? Why does it persist? What factors intensify the difficulty? What factors alleviate it? And so on.

2. Avoid the brass-tacks urge.

Many executives like to strike di¬rectly at the heart of the matter. In some cases that’s commendable. But in dealing with problems it may lead to “solutions” that solve nothing. Particularly, when dealing with a difficult problem, make sure you know the one-eighth that shows above the surface, with as much as possible of the seven-eighths that may not readily meet the eye. The importance of identifying a problem is that you force your¬self to consider its different aspects and details.

A comedian once boasted that he discovered a cure for a disease that didn’t even exist. It happens in executive suites every day—we solve problems that don’t exist, because we haven’t properly identified them.

Practical Tips On Solving Problems

• International Management, a business journal headquartered in Lon-
• don, offers a series of practical points in the problem-solving process:
• Is there a solution to this problem? Not all problems can be solved.
• Say it or write it down. Lay it out so that you can analyze its complications.
• Define the problem positively. The optimistic outlook inspires a positive solution both in yourself and others.
• Have you forgotten anything? Don’t let the omission of important data fog your focus on the problem.
• Get additional information. Research may bring out facts you’ve overlooked or simply don’t know about.
• Look for more than one solution. Are there alternative solutions? If so, which is best? Can you combine?
• Welcome new ideas. And give a new idea the opportunity to prove itself.
• Check your solution and check yourself. Evaluate your answers. Since you can’t foresee precisely how a solution will work, changes and corrections may be necessary.
• Don’t look for a perfect solution. Aim for the best you can get under the circumstances.
• Rest your ego. Insistence on being right all the time only alienates others. if your problem involves other people, give them the chance to be right once in a while.

When There’s No Solution

You sometimes tackle a problem to which you can find no answer. Should you go on plugging away seeking the key? Or, should you give up? When you face this dilemma-

1. Assess the importance of the problem.

Stick with it if it’s a major obstacle. There’s no point, for example, in conducting business as usual if a bottleneck is obviously going to wreck the chances of filling a major commitment.

On the other hand, don’t tie yourself up over a minor matter while regular operations go to pot.

2. Consult.

You can’t get away from sound arithmetic: two heads are better than one. And three are better than two. Take up the prob¬lem with your boss, the people in your group who are directly con¬cerned, specialists in your staff departments who might be able to help.

They may or may not be able to provide immediate assistance. But it’s not unusual for your own thoughts and ideas to become clarified in the process of discussion. Even if you draw blanks, you have at least multiplied your chances of success.

3.  Can you ease up?

If you have a little elbow room in terms of time, let the teaser rest a while. Give your mind a chance to cool off. Relaxation can renew your mental vigor, may give you a new ap¬proach and new understanding.

In some cases, time may work for you. For example, an executive found himself with the standard problem of two subordinates who couldn’t get along. They were both key people; shifting either would have meant further complications. After days of futile thinking, he decided there was nothing he could do. Six months later, he observed the problem no longer existed. The two individuals had little by little ironed out their own differences.

4. Review.

If the problem is important, you’ll probably be forced to reconsider it from time to time. Do so in the light of changes that have taken place since you last considered the matter. A change may suggest a solution.

When It’s Right To Be Wrong

Occasionally a problem presents itself in which all the “right” solutions have failed to work. In such a situation, the “wrong” way may prove effective. In a sense, Solomon’s dealing with the Case of the Disputing Mothers applied a “wrong” solution. When he suggested that the child both women claimed be cut in two, it clearly was not a good solution. But it caused one woman to agree to give up the child; the other perfectly willing to abide the ruling made it easy to decide who the real mother was.

Here are some situations in which you might want to consider doing the “wrong” thing:

1. When the “right” way doesn’t work. Sometimes you just have to throw the rule book out of the window to save the situation.
2. When the “right’ way won’t end well enough. In some cases, the quality of the result you want may persuade you that the “right” track isn’t getting you where you want to go.
3. When there’s doubt as to what the “right’ way really is. This development may turn up in connection with work methods. One experienced executive says:

“Sometimes in order to solve a problem of technique, I have to go as far off the deep end as I can. That helps me find limits within which a sound solution may be developed.”

Certified Leadership Skills Professional