Good decision-making is key to business success, but that doesn't mean you as the owner should be making every decision. Building a reliable team requires you to let them make some of the decisions that will affect performance. Here are six ways to help your team make better decisions.
1. Help Them Understand Boundaries
For your team to make the best decisions possible, they must first understand the boundaries around the decisions they should be making. You want them to
exhibit some amount of independence, yet you don't want them making decisions that you'd rather be in charge of yourself. Help them understand which types of decisions they should be making on their own. Make sure there is clarity around authority around what needs approval. Company goals and values should also be clear so that your team is empowered to make the best possible decisions that are in line with what is best for the business.
2. Encourage the Utilization of Data
The best decisions are well informed, so the more data your team is able to draw from, the better decisions they will be able to make. They should be able to use intuition and inference, but data can bring an important level of objectivity. Encourage your team to make decisions based on measurable information, facts, and emerging trends within a given dataset. Give them access to the tools they need to access important data, and train them on how to understand and use the data at their disposal. Having this knowledge and data should make your team more confident in their own decision-making.
3. Make Sure They Have the Right Tools
Tools for data are important, but your team should have all of the technology they need to communicate and collaborate. This will also help them make the most informed decisions possible.
"If you want your employees to collaborate, they will need the space and/or tools to do that," says Kaytlyn Smith at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.* "Tech tools that allow for constant communication and collaboration, like Slack and Microsoft Teams, allow remote and in-office employees to work on projects, stay on top of tasks, and have video or audio calls together when necessary. Just as it is important to give employees a platform to collaborate, it’s equally important to provide access to training on these tools and additional opportunities to grow their skill sets."
4. Establish Trust
Assist team members to feel safe in their own ability to make the decisions that are within their authority. If they are afraid to speak up, ask for clarification, or admit uncertainty, they might not be able to make the best decisions. Establish positive and trusting relationships so they feel comfortable coming to you when needed. Provide a level of psychological safety so that they know they won't be punished or feel embarrassed when they make a mistake. Encourage open feedback and dialogue and don't be overly judgmental when ideas are shared, even if you don't agree with them. Reward any efforts made to learn, even when the results are less than perfect.
5. Play to Employees' Strengths
Playing to employees' strengths can net more positive results from the decisions being made. Make sure the right people are in charge of the right decisions.
"When you’re delegating tasks within projects, do so based on employee strengths," says Wharton Executive Education.** "Don’t assume you know all the strengths of your employees, though. Meet with each employee and ask them what they view their strengths as. You may discover ones you hadn’t considered before. A better understanding of your team helps you lead them more effectively. You can give them more opportunities to shine by empowering them to tackle tasks and projects suited to their strengths. Then, invest in training and development to help them improve their understanding of concepts where they’re lacking."
6. Lead By Example
Demonstrate good decision-making and explain your processes so that your team can understand the choices you make and how you arrive at your decisions. Provide as much information as possible, and demonstrate decisiveness. Also, be open about mistakes and how you are able to learn from them to make better decisions in the future.
Decision-making requires quality information and confidence. Set your team up for success by being clear about boundaries, leading by example, and making sure they have the right tools and information to help them make the very best decisions.
* https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/human-resources/small-business-teamwork
