I work in a fast-paced environment for a small digital company in Dubai. The speed at which we work means we need decisions to be made fast, but my boss seems unable to do that. He likes to think about things and constantly says “I’ll come back to you”. This is frustrating so how do I get around it? SP, Dubai
In a world where everything seems to operate at 100 miles an hour, a constantly connected sector like yours needs decisions to be made in a well-timed manner. However, while some situations need instant, snap-like judgments, others require a slower and measured approach. As time marches on, we seem to think less and act more, when in many cases it should be the other way around. What may be occurring for you is that your boss is “thinking slow” and you feel he should be “acting fast”.
Work by Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, talks about us having two styles of thinking. System 1 produces the fast, intuitive reactions and instantaneous decisions that govern most of our lives. System 2 is the deliberate type of thinking involved in focus, deliberation, reasoning or analysis – such as calculating a complex business decision, exercising self-control or performing an emotionally draining task, such as an appraisal with an underperformer.
Today a lot of our work and our wider life is governed by System 1, which he describes as “thinking fast” and it appears this is the kind of approach you are searching for – rapid decisions, action and speed. In a small digital company, I assume a “start-up mindset” is what feels necessary. Yet thinking things through, taking time and reflecting on decisions is a sophisticated skill in itself. Before you judge him on the pace of the decision, ask yourself if he usually comes back to you with a good decision and one that you buy into and agree with. If so, there must be a critical thinking process behind this delay and in some cases this approach is the right course of action.
I once attended a leadership development course which involved a challenging complex business task. There was a group of 12 of us, with lots of people wanting to step into the leadership roles so we could take action. For me the greatest learning I received was from a fellow participant whose approach differed somewhat. He stepped back, observed the situation and the other people involved before saying or doing anything. Instead of then proposing a solution, he then asked lot of questions to stimulate thinking and the group itself would tend to slow down, have a conversation and then come back with a more collective and responsible decision. This approach is often missing in many corporate settings. For example, many might say the western banking sector needed more reflection, thoughtfulness and consideration leading up to the financial crisis.
While swift action is not always the most appropriate option, it may be that for decisions that require speed, SP’s boss is drawing on his System 2, thinking when he doesn’t always need to. This can be quite taxing because these types of activities - intellectual, social or emotional - draw on the same mental battery. Therefore it will take a lot of energy away from him. It also makes the second decision more complex than the first and so on, resulting in ever-increasing delays and further deliberation.
Provide your boss with some feedback by explaining how his more considered decision approach is appreciated in some situations and how a brisker response can also benefit the company. As with anything in organisational life, it is not that one is more effective than another, it is more than one may be more appropriate in a particular situation. You should also show a willingness to take more consideration yourself when interacting with him, but also help him where necessary to reach action sooner.
Doctor’s prescription:
We are often required to think and act fast in our business life and many of us are rewarded for taking action and using our initiative. It is less frequent that consideration and contemplation receives praise. Look at the outcomes of past decisions when encouraging someone to accelerate was beneficial and only then decide if, where and when an injection of extra pace is necessary.
Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues
business@thenational.ae
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