Power of the Pause

Today we will pick back up the power series of posts.  If you are new to the blog or the power series, I would encourage you to take a trip into the archive to start at the beginning.  Even though most posts could stand-alone, I still encourage you to read some of the other posts in this series of posts.

Now is an exciting time for Millenials.  Every single day more and more Millenials are ascending to the ranks of management and most will face a very similar challenge.   The challenge is Millenials like to do things fast and that is not always a manager or leaders best friend.  With social media and an always-connected lifestyle, every decision is made fast, and for a manager that can mean deciding on the first solution that comes to mind.  For programmed decisions or decisions that have been made in the past or have a set path to follow, fast is fine and actually beneficial.  Many programmed decisions are delegated to subordinates and do not require a managers attention.  For that reason, many decisions that managers face are non-programmed decisions, which should require some thought before making a decision. 

The first thing to do when faced with a non-programmed decision is to take a pause and think about your options.  Many Millenials have a fear of looking silly or stupid when taking too long to answer a question.  I can say from experience that it can be uncomfortable to not have an immediate answer for a subordinate, but it is more uncomfortable to give a coworker a less than ideal answer because that decision could have long-term repercussions more than being uncomfortable for a few seconds by pausing.  It is better to take a moment and be uncomfortable then to make a poor decision.  Another thing about taking a pause is it gets easier the more you do it.  By pausing every time you make a decision, it becomes easier to make ideal decisions.  Taking a pause is an idea that is derived from Major League Baseball where umpires are instructed to pause before making every call on the bases.  This is so if they think about a call it looks the same as when they know what the call is.  This keeps the look the same whether the call was close or not.  The same can work for a manager when faced with a decision.

Take a second, take a breath and start making better decisions today with the power of the pause.