One of the most important things that I expect of people (any
myself) is accountability. We’ve all
gone through ups and downs in our lives, both personally and
professionally. We’ve all made mistakes
and said and done things that maybe weren’t the wisest choices. But how can you expect to learn from those
decisions if you don’t own up to them in the first place?
As a business owner, you make decisions all day, every
day. It’s sometimes hard to know what
decisions are the “right” decisions because sometimes there is no “right” or “wrong”
choice, just a subjective choice. Here are some tips on how to make decisions that you can feel confident about and will be able to
own up to no matter the outcome.
1.
Make your decisions based on your key core
principles. For me, if I am questioned
about the decisions I have made, I want to know that the decision I made was
based on honesty, accountability, and responsibility. If my choices don’t fit those criteria, then
I need to keep thinking until a decision can be reached that will fit those
criteria.
2.
Keep other people in mind. If you have the responsibility of being the
final decision maker on an issue, think about who will ultimately be affected
by this decision. Is it a change to a
process that will affect customer service?
If it is, then you’ll need to keep in mind how the customers will feel
about the change and take into consideration your front line staff who will
have to implement this change.
3.
Don’t worry about what other people think. I know this sounds contradictory to what I
just said, but let me explain. Every decision
you make in life will not only affect you, but everyone around you. However, not everyone is going to agree with
your decision or support it. You will
never be able to please everybody. I
know it’s hard to hear people tell you that you’re wrong or that you screwed
up. Everyone is going to have their
opinions but as long as you are confident with your final decisions, not
everyone’s opinions are going to matter.
4.
It’s okay to change your mind. People make mistakes. If you see that the choice you made was a
wrong choice, don’t let your pride get in the way of making a better
choice. Too often people hold onto their
decisions out of sheer stubbornness. But
this is where some of your accountability comes in. If you made a mistake, own up to it,
apologize if need be, make a different choice, learn from it, and move on.
Strong leaders are people who can make important decisions
on the fly but are also confident enough in themselves and their abilities to
be held accountable for their decisions.
They don’t let pride or stubbornness or greed get in the way of making
decisions that have a positive impact on their organizations. So, as you go about your day today, making
decisions all day long, keep these points in mind. Remember that you are a role model for your
staff. Be accountable to that.
