Decisions and Impacts

Newton's third law is the law of action. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” I am a huge fan of action and I love bold behaviour. But I also love consideration. Considering the impact of our decisions is smart. Regret can be a painful energy.

I was explaining this to someone on the weekend when we were talking about the consequences of our decisions. My friend had made the decision not to invite her sister to her wedding. Tough call! Or not depending on the circumstances. The decision had been made, and the decider felt good. "What will be the impact of this?" I asked. “I don’t care," was the response! 

I think caring is cool and while I love the agency and power that comes with being able to make decisions that suit us, I think it's worth considering the impact and potential consequences of our decisions.

Excluding a sibling from a wedding was going to have an impact on more people than just the two siblings immediately involved. I suggested that she consider the potential pain caused by this decision and create a comms plan! We decided who, what, when and how this decision would be shared.

Who - do you need to tell? Who will be impacted by this decision? Who needs to know and in what order of importance? Whose support or blessing do you need?

What - do they need to know? You don’t have to share the details of your decision but it helps to give people enough information for them to understand and potentially support you. What do you want people to know? What will they want to know?

How - are you going to go about it? What is the hierarchy of who knows when? Is this best delivered face-to-face, in writing or over the phone?

When - do you need to tell them? Is there a relevant deadline? 

Big decisions can be scary to deliver. Preparation and paper are our friends! Write some notes. Draw all the people and their relationship to you or the decision. Write a script if you need to.

The Decision - Potential Impact - Possible Consequences are three columns worth writing out. Being prepared is a wonderful way to start anything.

I love Stephen King's quote, “There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst.” 

Now is a good time to think about Christmas...

What decisions need to be made and who needs to be told what? 

Christmas can be so tricky managing multiple families, loads of expectations and difficult people. For some people, Christmas Day is a reminder of why they do not hang out with family for the other 364 days of the year!

Make some decisions, consider the consequences and deal with the impact!