XVII) MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS

Being a leader can be very gratifying. There are rewards, such as seeing a project completed on time and on budget, or getting the ministry up and running, growing and touching lives. There are the accolades and “at-a-boy’’s”, the recognition and the sheer satisfaction of knowing we have made a positive impact on so many people’s lives. If it weren’t for these returns not many people would invest themselves in leadership because along with the rewards, there are also the challenges. There are the difficult people (check out my sermon, “Dealing With Problem People”). There are the critics whom the leaders cannot please regardless of how hard he or she tries. There are the limited resources, the unfair demands, the undeserved blame, the long hours and the stress. Then there are those tough decisions that have to be made and the leaders is the one who has to make them.

Recently I was on my way to Denver to attend the Christian Book Distributors Convention, and in the airport in Atlanta I saw a book that caught my eye. It is entitled, Tough Management: The 7 Ways to Make Tough Decision Easier, Deliver the Numbers, and Grow Business in Good Times and Bad, by Chuck Martin (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005). The title is long, but the part about making tough decisions easier got my attention. I’ve been reading the book and it is helpful, full of research and insights from business leaders, but when you get right down to it tough decisions are still tough. In the end, however, the effective leader must be able to make even the tough calls.

Jesus was willing to make tough decisions with eternal and universal significance. In business and in church leadership we often have to make decisions that will affect the lives of people in profound ways. When revenue is down the decision to let people go can be gut wrenching. Who to hire, who to fire, who to promote and who to downsize are all tough calls and all calls that ultimately end at the desk of the leader. Jesus made tough calls that impacted more than just the pocketbook or the bank balance. For Jesus the decisions He made had eternal impact. The future of humanity hung in the balance as Jesus made the decision to pray, “Not my will but thine be done.”

In chapter two of his book, Martin gives seven guidelines to assist the leader in making difficult decisions. First, he says to put off the tough calls. He isn’t suggesting that one procrastinate, but give time and perspective the opportunity to help clarify the issues. The decisions may be difficult, but they should not be rash or rushed decisions.

Second, he says to give yourself a timeframe. If possible break the decision down in bite sizes and schedule them in a way that gives others time to adjust.

Third, recognize your own personality traits. Are you a duck or an eagle? Ducks tend to follow other ducks; they are more comfortable in a flock. For them, making a tough decision is easier if others around them have to do the same thing. In other words, if all other department managers are cutting back staff, it is easier for the duck to do the same. The eagle is more independent. He or she simply makes the decision and moves on. Martin gives three steps to forcing hard decisions: (1) Collect and consider the most information for the decision at the time. (2) Make the decision and communicate it. (3) Move on.

Fourth, leaders must recognize and accept the fact that tough decisions have to be made and it is the leader’s responsibility to make them. Leaders who try to delegate those decisions in order to defer the difficulty will quickly lose the respect of peers and workers. Martin says, “A key in making tough decisions is to actually make them, rather than procrastinate and make a situation linger too long.”

Fifth, “segment tough decisions by time”. Martin observes that “trying to deal with all tough decisions at the same time is pointless and, at best, can be overwhelming.” To overcome this, he says to “categorize tough or even significant decisions by the time frame in which they should be made.”

Sixth, Martin says to “segment tough decisions by level.” There will be times when employees in leadership positions beneath you in the organizational flowchart will need to be the ones to make the call. Your decision may be to tell the manager that six people will have to be let go from his department, but you will allow him to make the call as to which six will go.

Last, Martin says that when tough decisions must be made, they should not be affected by office politics. Tough decisions should be made objectively and without prejudice. The overall good of the business or the church must be paramount and the greater good should never be sacrificed out of personal friendships or political pull.

Martin says one should ask the following questions as guidelines for considering and weighing difficult decisions:

1. Who does this decision affect?
2. What else does this decision affect?
3. What is the long-range implication?
4. Who would oppose it and why?
5. What is the alternative?
6. When should the decision be made?

Tough decisions are tough, but Jesus demonstrates that making the right decisions (tough or not), at the right time, for the right reasons, can bring about the greater good.