Indecision is a Decision

Decisions matter. If you think about it, a board meeting is essentially a gathering solely for the purpose of making decisions.

Every meeting comprises a set of information and several choices but must ultimately result in a decision.

These decisions are called board resolutions, and they are the launch pad from which strategy is steered.

Only decisions count – not wishes, not intentions and not deliberations, only decisions. Indecisiveness is a decision to not make a decision. In other words, indecision is a decision in itself.

Often, it may seem like delaying a decision can buy you more time to make a better one.

That is true sometimes, but at other times, you should compare the opportunity cost of not making a decision versus the cost of making the wrong decision.

Indecisiveness naturally occurs under two main conditions: where there is a lack of confidence/authority or where there is a lack of adequate information.

This may seem counterintuitive, but in certain instances, it is much better to make the wrong decision than it is to make no decision. This is true, but it needs to be qualified.

Firm decisiveness is particularly critical in specific situations.

The first is when there is an emergency or high-stake situation. In such instances, indecision literally produces more risk. The second is in instances where taking a decision produces consequences that help you make a better decision down the line. This is only valuable if the consequences of the first decisions are reversible.

The third is in dynamic or high fluid environments.

There are certain sectors, businesses and contexts where the opening to make a decision is so slim because the factors that inform the decision change so quickly.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we should be reckless in making decisions, but in certain instances, a timely imperfect decision is better than no decision at all.

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