What is the job of a Manager? They get things done, make plans, take decisions and allocate resources for a common goal that can be called the Company’s objective. But the most important job of a manager is to make decision. Decision making capability is one that distinguishes an Effective Manager from manager.
Some aspects of Decision Making are:
Reviewing Data: The manager is to seek value information from different sources and review them in Team or group to take out the valuable information from that data. The data can be analytical , graphical or conceptual and requires in depth study of the situation prevalent at the site of information.
Exchanging Information: Then the exchange of information followed by brain storming session takes place.
Coming-up with Ideas: The individual ideas are taken and analyzed.
Evaluating Alternatives: The various alternatives got from the analysis of the ideas are then evaluated to get meaningful foresight of the implementation of the decisions.
Implementing Directives: Finally the implementation of the decision takes place and theory changes to practical.
Following Up: The follow up of the implemented decision is a must for growth on a regular basis ie maintaining the positive outcome and acting in case of the negative output if any.
Decision Requirement at Different Level
In Higher Level Management the main area of interest is making Decision about which services to offer and how to develop them. In the case of Lower Level Management action is at premium ie solving the problem on the spot as and when detected or ordered by the Higher Level Management.
Decision Style
Definition: Decision Styles depends on two components:
-How information is used and
-How options are created
User of Information: The information required by the user can be categorized in two categories:
Maximizers:
i. Depend on Huge Data: These require huge amount of data to analyse before they end up making a decision.
ii. Come up with well informed Decision: These people give more realistic and upto date information and decision based on the facts they utilize in making decisions.
iii. But at the price of TIME and Efficiency: These people consume a lot of time and efficiency in collection of data and result in more cost required for a decision to be taken.
Satisficers: ( Coined by Economist Herbert Simon)
i. Want only Key Facts: These people are mainly intuitive and require only key facts that can help formulate decision and analyse these in connection to their expertise and past experience.
ii. Apt to leap to Hypothesis and test them on the go
iii. Ready to act as soon as they have enough information to satisfy their requirement
Creator of Options:
Single Focus
i. Believe in single course of Action
ii. Put all energy in what they believe they should do
Multi Focus
i. Generate multiple options
ii. May take multiple course action
iii. Put energy into adapting to circumstances
Style of Decision Making
Decisive: These people individually value action, speed, efficiency and consistency to take a decision. Their decisions depend on their past experiences. Once a plan is in place, they stick to it and move on to the next decision. In dealing with the other people they prefer honesty, clarity, loyalty and especially brevity. Time is precious to them.
Flexible: Individually they value action, speed but the main emphasis is on Adaptability. They search for just enough data and decide line of action. They quickly change course of action if there is a need.
Hierarchic: Individually they do not rush for judgment, analyze a great deal of information and expect others to contribute. They readily challenge other’s view and analyses and decisions. From their perspective the decisions should stand the test of time.
Integrative: Individually they do not look for a single best solution. They usually frame situations very broadly taking into multiple elements related to situations and make decisions that are broadly defined. These make decisions with multiple course of action and like a lot of Inputs. These explore a wide range of view points including those that conflict with their own. This approach is not an event, but a Process.
Broader perspective
People do not fall neatly into four little boxes and circumstance influence the decision style. A manager needs to have the ability to call on all the four styles and exhibit expertise in all the four styles. For example in stable environment single focus style would prevail while in a uncertain environment multi focus will prevail.
Managers make decisions differently in public setting (Where they are being observed) and in private setting (where there is no need to justify the process). The public mode is called as ‘Leadership Style’ and the private mode is called as ‘Thinking Style’.
Charting Decision Styles
Leadership Styles
In public decision making senior executives are complete opposite of lower level Managers. The Decisive style (minimal information and single option) is dominant among First level Supervisors, but nearly non-existent among Sr. Executives.
The fast moving, multi focused flexible style is embraced by Sr. executives while low in supervisors. The Hierarchic style (lots of data, one option) is frequently used by first line supervisors. Its use reduces through a managers career and bounces back at the most senior level. Integrative style is used heavily by senior executives, but it is hardly applied by junior managers.
Thinking Styles
Here the private decision making style at each level is very different from those in Leadership style. The Integrative and hierarchic style (Analytic and maximizing style) increase progressively and then merge at the senior level. The Integrative and hierarchic style (Analytic and maximizing style) increase progressively and then merge at the senior level. The fast moving, multi focused flexible style is embraced by Sr. executives while low in supervisors.
Decision Style approach to Development
Most companies rely on management development and succession planning schemes on the assumption that
-Leaders are Leaders
-Good people can handle anything
Conclusion
Career development map makes it clear for up-and-coming managers that what lies ahead is
- a new terrain
- Quite different Challenges
- In some cases challenges are opposite what they have encountered in the past.
It also shows that
- relying on past successes and habits is no guarantee of success
- May be the road to failure
Early high performance is a useful indicator of future success, but it is by no means the only one
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