Core value · Skill family
Decisiveness
Making calls and committing to them
What does decisiveness mean as a core value?
Decisiveness as a core value means making clear calls in good time, committing to them, and letting people know where they stand when waiting would only cost more.
Drift frustrates you more than a wrong decision does. As a core value, decisiveness means you’re happy to make a call with most of the information while the moment is still there. You feel the cost of indecision in wasted time, anxious teams and opportunities that slip away. Once a choice is made you commit to it, and you want the people around you to know where they stand. A clear no feels kinder to you than a long maybe.
What does decisiveness look like in practice?
- You end a meeting with a decision, even if the decision is to decide by Friday.
- You pick the restaurant when everyone else says they don’t mind.
- You tell a job candidate the outcome within a day or two.
- You set a deadline for gathering information before you start gathering it.
- You stick with a decision through the first wobble.
When is decisiveness overplayed?
Speed can become the point. You decide before others have had their say, mistake certainty for good judgement, or dig in on a call that new facts have overtaken because changing course feels weak. People may stop telling you things because they assume your mind is made up. Healthy decisiveness separates the decisions that need to be quick from those that deserve patience, and treats revisiting a choice as part of the job. Before your next quick call, ask yourself whether it’s easy to reverse. If it isn’t, it might deserve another day.
Often confused with
Decisiveness vs Confidence
Confidence is trust in yourself. Decisiveness is the act of choosing and committing: plenty of confident people still dither, and some decisive people act despite their doubts.
Decisiveness vs Proactivity
Proactivity is acting before you’re asked. Decisiveness is choosing between options and sticking with the choice once it’s made.
Decisiveness vs Conviction
Conviction is firm belief. Decisiveness is being willing to make the call before you feel certain, and committing to it anyway.
Questions to sit with
- Which decision have you made too quickly this year, and what did you ignore to make it?
- Who has stopped bringing you information because they assume you’ve already decided?
- What choice are you putting off right now, and what is the delay costing?
More values in Skill
Competence, intelligence and doing things well.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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