Getting Unstuck
They say that making the decision gets you halfway there. I have often seen that to be true - making the decision gets you halfway there, but often in my work with leaders I have found that getting all the way there can be a different story.
When we are in the thick of things, we often get stuck without knowing it. We made the decision, and we have the will to get it done, but for some reason we get stuck. Some of the examples I have seen:
- The manager who has decided it is time to take action on a non-performing team member but keeps putting it off; there is always a reason to do so.
- The individual who has decided they want a different career but don’t take the steps to get there.
- The manager who has decided that a business venture must be shut down, but gives it a little more time.
- The CEO who is getting monthly pressure from the board to fill a critical position , but just can’t get it done.
- Knowing that a key employee’s compensation must be adjusted but waiting until its too late and the employee leaves.
- The Founder who announces intentions to step back and let their successor take the reins, and yet doesn’t set a final transition date.
These are all examples of leaders who have made the tough decision, but for some reason did not execute on a timely basis.
We have all done it. For some reason, we have too much to do, or some element of our decision makes us uncomfortable. Instead of working through it, we push the decision back, often at expense to individuals or the organization.
It’s a matter of getting unstuck.
If you find that you are not ready to execute on the decision, find a thought partner with whom to deliberate the issue. Chances are there is something you need to work through, even though you know the merit of the decision you have made. Often, executing the decision is personally difficult for you, or you may be very vested in the very thing you are addressing. Working through it with a mentor or a coach may do the trick.
Also, one of the best ways to get unstuck is to assure that your decisions don’t stay as decisions but , rather, that you take that extra step and memorialize your decisions with a concrete accountability for execution. Turn your decisions into action items with clear deliverables and deadlines. After all, we expect that from our employees, so we should assure that all of our decisions have a concrete, measured action plan.
Getting stuck is normal. It happens to all of us. Recognize it when it happens. Deal with it. Action it.
Get unstuck
When we are in the thick of things, we often get stuck without knowing it. We made the decision, and we have the will to get it done, but for some reason we get stuck. Some of the examples I have seen:
- The manager who has decided it is time to take action on a non-performing team member but keeps putting it off; there is always a reason to do so.
- The individual who has decided they want a different career but don’t take the steps to get there.
- The manager who has decided that a business venture must be shut down, but gives it a little more time.
- The CEO who is getting monthly pressure from the board to fill a critical position , but just can’t get it done.
- Knowing that a key employee’s compensation must be adjusted but waiting until its too late and the employee leaves.
- The Founder who announces intentions to step back and let their successor take the reins, and yet doesn’t set a final transition date.
These are all examples of leaders who have made the tough decision, but for some reason did not execute on a timely basis.
We have all done it. For some reason, we have too much to do, or some element of our decision makes us uncomfortable. Instead of working through it, we push the decision back, often at expense to individuals or the organization.
It’s a matter of getting unstuck.
If you find that you are not ready to execute on the decision, find a thought partner with whom to deliberate the issue. Chances are there is something you need to work through, even though you know the merit of the decision you have made. Often, executing the decision is personally difficult for you, or you may be very vested in the very thing you are addressing. Working through it with a mentor or a coach may do the trick.
Also, one of the best ways to get unstuck is to assure that your decisions don’t stay as decisions but , rather, that you take that extra step and memorialize your decisions with a concrete accountability for execution. Turn your decisions into action items with clear deliverables and deadlines. After all, we expect that from our employees, so we should assure that all of our decisions have a concrete, measured action plan.
Getting stuck is normal. It happens to all of us. Recognize it when it happens. Deal with it. Action it.
Get unstuck
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