DECISION PARALYSIS – A threat to ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH

This was an interesting story I had read:

“The donkey was indeed hungry. It had to get some food by hook or crook. It found the nearby vegetable market the safest place to find some quick food.

As it entered the market, it saw a heap of cabbages lying in a corner. It started salivating. “I think I have a field day.” It assured itself of a delicious lunch.

But, unfortunately it turned its head and found on the other side, a huge heap of carrots. ‘Wow! Carrots are indeed more delicious than cabbages. And they look fresh.”

It started thinking.. it had to make a right choice.. “ How do I make the right decision?” It pondered.

It sat down between both the heaps of vegetables and started thinking till it died out of hunger!”

Decision paralysis is indeed a threat to the health of an organization. Sometimes it has cancerous effect on several functional domains of the organization. Its direct and residual effects on eroding the performance profile of the people and the organization as a whole is often intangible and is realized when it is too late.

The process of decision making happens at different levels, for different reasons and on different occasions. Some of the issues related to them may be too small and less significant, but several of them may have a long term and huge impact.

The skills of decision making should be incorporated in the training profile at various levels of functional mainstream as a method of empowering the operational architecture of the system.

Playing the role of ‘Hamlet’ with “to be or not to be” syndrome may be a good sight to watch on a platform of a theatre, but the audience in the organization are different. Delay in decision making, sometimes even by hours, could cause inescapable financial or profile loss to the organization. Such delays frustrates people, demotivates them and as mute witnesses to the planned procrastination of the leaders/ managers, they pay heavy price. “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped” says Tony Robins.

“Well, keep the issue in the cold storage. It will find its own solution” said a manager to his colleague. His ‘risk-o-meter’ was possibly dysfunctional and represented the state of inertia.

“If I delay the decision by a few more days, I would move out of this seat. My successor can handle it.” The official is a good player in ‘passing the buck’ game.

“Mr. Watson, Why have you taken so much time in taking this decision?” asked his boss Mr. Fernandez. “Well, Sir, this was the eleventh file in the queue. I had to follow the sequence …” This was a clear way of delaying decision without setting priorities. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Sometimes procrastinators find good excuses to justify their actions.

Time required for analysis in taking the decision has to be optimal. In many cases, delay in decision making happens due to inability to follow logistics.

“What do you think the team would think if I take this decision?” asked Mr Joseph to his peer. His urge to keep everyone happy and take a decision that would please everyone was predominant.

Decision paralysis in governance has caused huge losses both to the exchequer and the society. Sometimes the cumulative impact of decision paralysis becomes disastrous and irrevocable. This has caused more pains than the impact of the decision itself.

In a world haunted by the speed of change, delayed decisions really forfeit the purposes of such decisions sooner than later.

Some of the reasons for the decision paralysis can be listed as below:

1.Absence of adequate knowledge of the subject in which decision has to be taken.

2.  Distractors/ choices available leading to absence of clarity

3.  Fear of taking a wrong decision

4.  Considerations of steps to take a decision that pleases most

5.  To satiate the urge to be perfect

There could be other reasons too.

In several cases, the decision paralysis occurs because the decisions call for compromises with values. It is important to note that even if it is difficult, holding to ethical standards is key to take a bold and wise decision. It doesn’t call for a delay in decision making. It is also not necessary for the leader/decision maker to justify why he has taken such a decision so long it is value based.

Decision making is both an art and science. It is both an intellectual and emotional skill. It needs to be nurtured and nursed for a healthy organizational growth.