HOWE Q. WALLACE BLOG

Making Decisions vs. Taking Action

Five birds are on a wire. One decides to fly away. How many birds are left?

It’s a trick question. Five remain. Why? There’s a difference between deciding to do something and doing something. Until the bird flies, there are still five on the wire.

Decisions can be easy. Decisions can be hard. But, very little progress occurs until someone decides to do something and sets it in motion.

Effective organizations seek to make good decisions. When they decide, they go to work. By testing decisions as soon as possible, you find out if you decided correctly.

Most decisions aren’t perfect. They don’t stand the test of time. They need tweaking to adjust to reality.

Facts and circumstances change. The agile organization does not fear honest reviews of their actions and decisions.

They are humble enough to know that new information or better understanding could lead to a better strategy and direction.

Honesty and humility create the opportunity for change and improvement. Be a person who decides and puts action right behind it.