Do you walk to work, or carry your lunch?
That post title really has nothing to do with this post, other than it’s a fun question to ask people and watch their eyes roll around in their head.
When interviewing candidates, one of my favorite questions to ask goes something like this: "All things being equal, would you say you tend to ask permission first, or ask forgiveness later?" I usually follow up with a "Why?" but that first question alone tells me a lot about a person. As for me, personally, I tend to ask forgiveness later, so I’m comfortable hearing that from candidates, but I also like to hear their reasoning.
Anyway, my ideal candidate would say they preferred to ask forgiveness later, but that their actual response would depend upon the situation at hand. If they were uncomfortable and covering new ground, they’d likely ask permission first. But if it felt comfortable, or if time was of the essence and they had good justifications, then they’d act now and ask forgiveness later, if needed.
How is “it depends” for an answer. I’m happy doing what needs to be done, if it’s a situation that “what needs to be done” needs doing in. But, I’m also aware that I’m part of a team.
This is really a question based on the authority given to an individual to make decisions. If the person is new to a company or in a position will less responsibilities, they don’t have a lot of authority and need to ask permission first. However, if the decision falls under the person’s area of influence by all means they should act first and get forgiveness later if they made the wrong decision. It really frustrates me when I see somebody that has been given the proper authority still feel that their decisions need to be gone through the chain of command. Not only is this extremely inefficient, but it makes me wonder if the person is looking for a scapegoat if the decision isn’t the right one. Take responsiblity for your decisions first, take action quickly, and most likely you won’t need to ask forgiveness anyways.
I ask forgiveness.
Why?
Because I have complete confidence in that I’m making my decision in the best interest of the company.