How Being Decisive in the Workplace Drives Efficiency

Do you consider yourself a decisive person? Or do you often find yourself second-guessing your decisions and overanalyzing things? 

Decision-making is a necessary part of any role within a company. A decisive person is crucial for not only making decisions, but also keeping projects and workflow moving forward. What’s more, being decisive in your workplace helps you to be more efficient and effective at your job.

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Let’s take a look at how you can be more decisive and therefore more efficient in your role as an administrative professional.

The Traits of a Decisive Person

Being decisive means making decisions quickly, efficiently, and with confidence. A decisive person is resolute in their decisions. The opposite of being decisive is being wishy-washy. An indecisive person has a hard time making up their mind. Even when they do make a decision, they continue to question it or waver in their thoughts. 

No matter how big or small your team is, being decisive is an important trait for any leader to possess. You must be able to make decisions to be effective and efficient at work, as too much time spent questioning what to do is time wasted. 

How to Make a Decision 

Being decisive does not mean you must make rash decisions. However, you must make a decision, no matter what that is. In fact, as an administrative professional, you will need to make many decisions on a daily basis: which emails and calls to prioritize, which tasks to tackle first in your day, or which information to include in a presentation or memo. All of these tasks require you to make a decision quickly and efficiently. 

When making a decision, consider practicing this sequence: 

1. Consider all of the options for your decision. 

2. Consider the possible outcomes of each option. 

3. Make a choice efficiently and decisively. 

If you take the time to weigh options, possible outcomes, and the pros and cons of each option, there is no reason to waver. 

Practicing How to Be More Decisive 

If you struggle with being decisive, there are ways to put quicker decision-making into practice. Here are five helpful tips for practicing how to be more decisive and therefore more effective at your job. 

• Start with small decisions first. Practice making smaller decisions with smaller consequences. 

• Step outside your comfort zone. Make a decision that you normally wouldn't make. This can be in your professional or personal life. Perhaps you speak up at a meeting when you are usually shy. Or you decide to try a new workout class or hobby. Practice making decisions that are new for you, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. 

• Collaborate with others. Often, the decision-making process at work is collaborative. Don’t rely on others to make decisions for you, but be open to asking for feedback. Also, consider what other people in your shoes would decide. 

• Give yourself a time limit. Outline a time limit for different decisions throughout the day. Force yourself to spend only an allotted amount of time weighing options and outcomes. Try setting a timer for yourself; and when that timer goes off, see what option feels like the best at that moment. 

• Be confident in your decision-making. Once you make a decision, be confident about it. Don’t allow yourself to question it, continue to mull it over, or second-guess yourself. Make your decision, be confident it was the right one, and move on to your next task. 

For more information and tools on being decisive, check out our training resources here at ASAP. We understand that your job as an administrative professional can be stressful and full of tough decisions. Our purpose is to give you the tools and resources you need to be more confident, decisive, and efficient at your job.