Decisions, Decisions
December 16th, 2024 to January 15th, 2025
Coaching time: 22 hours
Reflective discussions with: Mylène Baxter (Bailey Balfour), Dan Howells (Collaborate Sports), Chris Musgrove (Leading Edge Performance), Ann Louise Powell (Smart Works Birmingham), Leon Roos (Trust4Leaders), and Beth Younder (FOUND Training Co).
Decision-making has been a recurring theme for me lately. Not only is it a common challenge brought into coaching, but a Master’s assignment, along with some big decisions in my own life, has kept the topic front and centre.
I’ve reflected on the nuances of decision-making. In the past, I unconsciously used the same approach for all decisions – or, at the very least, failed to give enough thought to whyI chose a particular approach. This is the beauty of publishing a reflection – when you write it down so clearly, it seems flipping obvious.
This month has been the first time I’ve consciously asked myself, What kind of decision is this?The answers have given me a much clearer picture of the type of information I need to gather and the sources to prioritise to make an informed decision.
I’m growing. I’m improving self-awareness – but also the quality of service I can provide the client. I’m slowly becoming more comfortable with using heuristics (and even gut instinct) WHEN the time calls.
My little friend has been the Cynefin Framework – a class favourite in Agile Leadership theory.
Cynefin Framework
Developed by the brilliant David Snowden, the Cynefin framework sheds light on decision categorisation. But first, Snowden and Boone (2007) begin their paper with a little nugget:
Wise executives tailor their approach to fit the complexity of the circumstances they face
Decisions are classified into five types:
- Simple (known knowns)
- Complicated (known unknowns)
- Complex (unknown unknowns)
- Chaotic (unknowables)
- Disorder (wtf <– I added this bit in).
A simple problem: Losing a bit of Christmas ‘padding’. I’ve done it before, I have historical evidence and I know what best practices look like, and I have control over my schedule – let’s get to it.
Complex: Proposing a year-long partnership with a corporate client? That’s a different story. If I approached it like a simple problem, I’d be ignoring countless unknowns – some of which I can’t even identify yet. It’s a complex problem, requiring multiple sources of information and the skills to collect it.
Chaotic: Imagine a football manager making a substitution after going 1-0 down at home. Imagine a trader responding to an unprecedented drop in the market. A salesperson listening to their biggest client explain the reasons for discontinuing the partnership. What do we do? Some recommended actions may be to create discussion, set barriers, and use heuristics.
Snowden, D.J. and Boone, M.E. (2007)
But…
The more you read on chaotic problems, the more you respect the very best in these situations. I suspect the leaders who excel at making decisions in chaotic situations are those with a strong sense of self-awareness. They’ve reflected on their biases, know their triggers, and have developed coping strategies. This kind of self-work takes time, great feedback, and deliberate effort.
There’s lots more to it
I’ve barely touched upon the nuances of decision-making frameworks, the myriad factors, or Cynefin. Please reach out and let’s discuss, debate and challenge for personal progress.
Translations to coaching
I now approach coaching with a sharper focus on decision-making. It’s not enough to understand the decision – I facilitate a deeper dive into what kind of decision it is. What are the knowns, unknowns, controllables, and uncontrollables? What needs to happen to turn unknowns into knowns? And how can we make this decision evidence-informed?
Thank you for reading. If you fancy a chat, just say.
George