Break Glass to Break Impasse

How do you know if a smarter and more experienced decision maker has made a good decision?

Because you watch or have watched them make it.

Their process.

You think: ‘I don't really understand the reasons or even agree with the decision. However, I have confidence in how she decided.’

Herein lies the problem with positional power decisions. The decision maker is easily tempted into declaring and asserting and rationalising rather than showing.

Wait. There’s More. The positional power decision maker - particularly if they are inexperienced or lack self-esteem, is more likely to deploy positional power decisions to prove that they have positional power and will use it. ‘Don't mess with me.’

To ‘fly overhead with the bomb bay doors open’ as a friend used to put it.

Isn’t that why I was given this power? To be decisive?

Sometimes. Rarely. Seldom.

The positional power is there to break the rare right-versus-right impasses.

(‘Rare’, because if you’ve been a good boss, your people will have learned to resolve the right-v-right in service of the Widget.)

‘In case of Emergency: Break Glass to Break Impasse.’

Even so, the decision maker can still show their working out.

‘I recognise the merits in both arguments and in the interests of moving beyond this impasse and progressing towards our Widget, I’m approving Option B.’

Yet every time a positional power decision maker flexes, they grow weaker, not stronger. They deny themselves a decision making Five Step rep workout. Eventually they don’t have the strength to show their working out, even if they could.

Worse.

Handfuls, dozens, hundreds of subordinates are watching. Learning.

Not how to make good decisions. But how to defer to your positional power.

And some will conclude they must seek and gain positional power to be Leaders like the boss. So they act like the boss to please the boss. Yet without positional power.

And so on.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.