Comments on: The Manager as Decision Maker

By: Phil Gerbyshak

Phil Gerbyshak — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:38:58 +0000

Karen – That’s a horrible situation for Steak & Shake. I’ll have to share that soon. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

By: Phil Gerbyshak

Phil Gerbyshak — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:38:20 +0000

Interesting discussion about emotions. I find that emotions are an important factor, however it’s tough as a manager to plan for them. Think about emotions? Sure. Plan for them? Nearly impossible.

That’s why books and courses like those offered through Crucial Conversations are so critical. You have to get PAST the emotion and focus on the pool of shared meaning, so you can stop being of “lizard brain” and start thinking like a human again.

Trying to think rationally is an important key, and Stephen’s framework is a good one to follow.

By: DeafMom

DeafMom — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:06:34 +0000

I do wish the Steak ‘n Shake manager would read today’s blog post– perhaps last Wednesday’s incident could have been avoided: http://putzworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/steak-and-shake-denies-service.html

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:46:25 +0000

No I don’t think that at all. Emotions are what guide and often govern behavior. I have seen more projects and iniatives fail because of lack of emotional attention. If the decision does not excite us or enliven us we often don’t act on it. Yes it might seem to play out in logic but if our gut feeling is queasy I want to attend to that too. I would lose my authoritative edge for a strong emotional connection with those I work with to ensure implementation and action. Margaret Wheatley writes wonderfully on this topic.

By: lazymale

lazymale — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:29:21 +0000

Stephen/David, i would to add a final tip for managers to “Be Accountable” after implementing the decision. I have written the importance of it. Please drop in a comment with your feedback.

David – Should emotions fit into the framework? A decision made on emotions has not always proven to be the best because such decsions tend to get personal and when that happens a manager tends to lose his authoritative edge. Dont you think?

By: @Stephen | Productivity in Context

@Stephen | Productivity in Context — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:38:53 +0000

David, good question. I would submit that as decision-maker you should work to keep emotion out of the process. However, the emotions of the stakeholders and others affected by the decision must be addressed. How your decisions affect morale and employee engagement are just as important as the fiduciary and political considerations.
For example, ruthless cost-cutting can create in increase in employee turnover as the best and brightest leave for greener pastures.

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:33:55 +0000

Thank you for the contribution Stephen. Good outline of a rational approach to decision making. How do you see emotions fitting into this framework?