One of the best post-sabbatical outcomes for me, personally and professionally, was a significant improvement (think C+ to A+) in my ability to make quick decisions. Although learning how to push a little boat through the water for six months never made my daughter and me great sailors, we changed in other ways. That sailing sabbatical presented the necessity of making quick decisions and required me to hone my ability, then face the consequences. Now, in land life - I don’t get stuck so much.
In these sticky situations, you’d best stand firmly on your sea legs and choose something:
- Put out a 2nd anchor out for the high winds predicted tonight or stick with the one that’s down?
- Keep slamming into the wind or ease off and have to enter an unfamiliar anchorage in the dark?
- Turn around (these 10-foot waves scare the poop out of me) or take a chance that the seas will calm?
After 2,000 nautical miles, I learned that making a decision quickly is different than making one when time isn’t a factor. Here are the 1, 2, and 3 of it:
- Weigh all of the information you HAVE. (and forget about what you wish you knew or would like to find out.) This is QUICK decision stuff, not mulling something over. Include the logical information but don’t forget your gut information - in tandem they work to be your best guide.
- Know that if you don’t make a decision, the gods will. Accepting that a non-decision would soon activate outcomes (and not liking bad consequences on a little boat in the ocean - like getting lost, tossed about or dying), I would opt to make a choice and trying for some control of the outcome.
- Do it! NOW. And don’t look back. (You can debrief later over a beer.) This whole quick decision thing is a crap shoot, so just take your chances and hope for a positive outcome. Don’t think of this as the BEST (and forget perfect) decision you’ll ever make; settle for an ACCEPTABLE-CLOSE-AS-YOU-CAN-GET-TO-GOOD decision.
In sailing and in land life, decisions rule. Our lives are the result of the decisions we make and solid, quick decision-making skills drum up our confidence as well as keep us out of the hum drums.
Currently, a relatively quick decision looms for me. In lieu of the current Swine Flu situation, should I get on an airplane on Saturday afternoon for a week in Hawaii, as planned - or not? (This is a working week, so don’t think I’m on the beach. Well, maybe a little at the beach.)
Weighing the current information (#1 above) produces confusion. Vice President Joe Biden advises I stay at home; Mayor Bloomberg thumbs his New York nose and wants me in the subway. My gut tells me these people don’t know squat, and the map this morning on the Today Show will include a lot more red states than Katie Couric had last night. Short of a ban on travel, a clear path for my decision seems unlikely.
Right now, I’m half-way through #2 above - making a conscious decision, knowing full well the consequences could be that if I nonchalantly get on an airplane, it just could be the one FULL of people who could infect me with a nasty case of flu and/or the real bad piggy - my premature exit.
Notice in my process for quick decisions, there’s no talking to other people. That’s because you don’t have time. But along with becoming a better decision maker. my sailing sabbatical experience taught me to rely on myself. I’d have to say I re-entered land life a whole lot more confident in me. I trust me big time.
Would you don a surgical mask and jump on that Saturday flight for a great little work week in Hawaii?
Hmmmmm? And if you have a friend at the CDC, would you mind connecting me today?
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