When a decision is done (4 parts Drucker, 1 part Flynn (1 minute read)

I just finished reading Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker. As with most things Drucker, it was written many years ago and still holds true today; especially one section – when a decision is truly made.

Sometimes, we make a decision and wonder why it has not been carried out fully and/or are surprised by the result or lack thereof. It could be that we have not also identified the following:

  1. The name of the person accountable for carrying it out;
  2. The deadline;
  3. The names of the people who will be affected by the decision and therefore have to know about, understand, and approve it—or at least not be strongly opposed to it
  4. And the names of the people who have to be informed of the decision, even if they are not directly affected by it.
  5. The leading and lagging indicators (a.k.a., KPIs, metrics, OKRs…) to be able to know how to measure the success of the decision and its impact.*

(I have a useful link on my website to a Who, What, When document (No. 11) – a simple tool that helps address some of the above.)

Another bit of useful guidance Drucker gives is to review the decision periodically setting the review schedule up front. This way you can make corrections well in advance if necessary.

Here is to making great decisions and correcting them quickly when they turn out to be not as great as originally thought.

Thanks for reading.

Be Exceptional!

To learn more about building your own One Page Strategic Plan visit https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com or contact me at  bill@catalystgrowthadvisors.com.

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*My addition to Drucker’s list

Published by Bill Flynn

Gazelles Member Advisor and early stage startup specialist with a proven track record with 16 Boston-based startups (9 to date with 5 successful outcomes, advisor to 7 others); SMB to Fortune 500 companies. 20+ years of Senior Sales, Marketing and GM experience in industries including mobile advertising, security, digital advertising, e-commerce and IT. Core Competencies: Player/Coach, Metrics-driven, Execution-based philosophy, Life-long learner

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