Take Action As A Manager

Quite a few people have difficulty making decisions. Those who do should avoid management responsibilities in their work. Taking action and making decisions is what a supervisor or manager should do. If you cannot face problems and take action then you will fail in your managerial role.

People who supervise others have to make tough decisions all the time, everyday. They might range from a small problem to something if vital importance. It might be mediating a dispute between employees or setting goals for your department. Each decision requires energy and effort on your part.

A common problem among new managers is to ignore a problem in hopes it will go away. It doesn’t go away by itself. As a manager you need to face the problem and take responsibility for deciding a course of action for a solution. Many new managers don’t make decisions because then they cannot be criticized for make a poor judgment. However a continuous lack of decision making will be notice by the company and damage your career more than if you do not take any action.

You will be criticized anyway, and for something far more serious, such as failing to produce results. You might be able to fool some people but you will not fool your boss. Sooner or later you will be viewed as an ineffective manager. Someone who cannot make decisions. You need to have the courage to make decisions even if they are the wrong ones. This is the only way you will learn to be a good manager and leader.

The art of management is to know how to avoid the two extremes. You might be delaying on a particular problem and then you try to avoid a snap decision. Knowing what to do can be a problem and only experience will help with that. However if action is needed immediately a decision needs to be made. Even if it is a poor decision, sometimes that’s better than no decision at all.

If it is an important decision, perhaps to spend a large sum of money, take time to think but don’t over analyze it. Consider all available options. If the decision is left up to you make the best decision you feel possible. If it’s something you would spend your money on then you will make the right decision.

If you have managers working under you then you want them to make decisions. After all that’s why they are in that position. The same goes for your boss. He expects you to make decisions. Your company wants an organization that moves instead of one that rests, for fear of making mistakes.

Remember: You live and die by the decisions you make or don’t make!