The Science of Motivation | PART 4 - Evaluation Reference - Are you a Decision maker vs. Opinion gatherer?

One line recap (of previous module)

Ok, by now you will know if you’re an initiator or reflective thinker, goal-setter or problem solver. You can mix it up too! You’ve seen a self-initiated troubleshooter in the office, and even a goal-focused person who reflects a lot on their goals!

Today, let’s add another dimension to the mix. Are you able to make decisions on your own, or would you solicit other people’s opinions before you commit to something.

Objectives:

• Learn what kind of decision maker are you - independent or inclusive
• Discover some quick tips to work around both the profiles

We need to make decisions everyday, from what we wear to what to eat. At work, business decisions are initiators of any plans and pivots.

Some of us, like Danny, loves to make decisions on our own. Sure, we will listen to other people’s opinion and feedback and views, but you and I know those information hardly affect the decision we have already made in our minds.

Now, the good thing about being a decision maker like Danny is that it projects confidence, conviction and certainty. Often, the Dannys of the world are known for their speed in execution, and you can go to them for a quick yes or no. It seems that he’s in charge, knows what he wants and make snappy decisions to get things moving. It’s safe to say Danny likes to be in the driver’s seat, calling all the shots.

However, Danny can also be regarded as inflexible, as he may not take other people’s opinion or listen to their suggestions. Others often feel they are being left out in the decision making process, making them feel as if Danny is not a team player. That’s one setback.

Danny’s right hand man, Farid, is completely different. When he’s asked to decide on something, his first question is to ask the asker back, “What do you think about it?”. He seemed like an inclusive leader who bother to ask for feedback and opinions before making a decision. Sure, he may seem slower in calling the shots compared to Danny, but some people love him because he listens.

No, Farid is not a sure-win all the time. Some of the more dominant staff members will rush him for decisions, as they feel he’s slow to act. As a matter of fact, this group of employees often bypass him and go to Danny directly. They view Farid as weak, lack a sense of leadership and weak in leadership.

Frankly, having worked with these two profiles of people before, I know first hand they have their right places in the team. As a matter of fact, many leaders like the Farids of the world because they are generally more coachable and teachable. Farids make good hires because they will listen to instructions and are careful. Of course, when they can’t make a simple decision after years of working, it becomes an issue. A good career development path for Farid is to train him on decision making and critical thinking, and also empowering him to make decision and giving him feedback regularly.

Danny, for example, usually need to tone down a bit. He has his strengths of course, but no man is an island, and he has to learn to be more inclusive in his decision making process. Yes, he is motivated by being able to call the shots, but at the same time, taking some time to listen (without judgement) will make him a better leader.

Action Step or Recap:

What’s the last few decisions you had at work for the past couple of days? Were they made by solely by yourself, and did you go around asking for suggestions before deciding?