If you are experiencing Disruption then your decision making models may need urgent alteration. Sure in Disruption things will move faster, be less certain and more risky but you still have an organization to run, things still need to be decided. It is important that you consider how this disruption will change your organization, especially the decision making aspects.
When a new disruption emerges (be that of a presidential tweet, a trade-war or a new technology) you may be under pressure to understand the new issues - yet when disruptions emerge you may not have many facts, you may not know if it is fake or not, you may have had time to consider the flow on effects for your organization. Yet your staff, customers and even stakeholders may ask your opinion, may ask you what to do, may want a fast decision.
Organizational decision making in Disruption is likely to require a "cool head", logic and critical thinking in order to make good decisions. Fast decisions without the necessary precursors will likely lead to decisions without data, without alternates and without critical thinking.
A suggestion for decision making in Disruption is to build a team of people that can analyse data, people that can search for facts and truth together with people that can think through situations and provide alternates with critical thinking. Whilst it may be nice to think of your leadership skills including all of these requirements - you will at the very least need someone to talk to, someone to provide alternate ideas. It will be so easy in this new age of disruption to fall into group think and just find everyone around you agreeing.
Modern leaders and managers will need to make decisions with incomplete data in fast time - those that will likely succeed will have skills of process, analysis and logic themselves combined with an ability to build trust in their team. Collaboration and sharing will be features of this new decision making, understanding risk and uncertainty whilst still looking for opportunity and fact. No doubt that the new age is here and will be confronting for some - where those that can lead well may also achieve creativity and innovation from those around in order to discover competitive advantage.
Decision making will no longer be appropriate using the slow, cumbersome processes that were designed in a time of relative stability. You should re-consider how you will operate in disruption now in order to avoid being left behind.
Consider hiring leaders now with additional skills ready for Disruption ! avoid the lost opportunities of having managers without the leadership skills required.
If you are a Leader or seeking to be one in the future - you need to read, read, read about Disruption NOW ! Those that fail to understand and adjust will fall behind.
Feel free to ask Dr Mat via a chat or email on Leadership, Management or change issues, advice, consulting or mentoring that you may seek.
These and other related topics feature in Dr Mats book titled "Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence" - written for the modern professional, student and academic - in fact anyone wanting to be ahead on modern Leadership and Management issues.
His book is available through Amazon (kindle version or hard copy can now be purchased) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1787563685 . This book has been strongly endorsed - so use this link to review the endorsements, or to preview Chapter 1, table of contents and the preface from Amazon (kindle version button) - consider buying this book or recommend it to professional colleagues or friends/family, students and academics. Dr Mat also writes for a number of professional and other magazines in his quest to improve knowledge on these topics.
Dr Mat is also on Twitter - @DrMat14
Consider your own specific situation and seek professional advice before acting directly in reaction to any of the tips on this website, they are intended as general advice only.
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