It was a beautiful weekend in Upstate New York. The weather is definitely cooling off and I am starting to see just hints of red color on our maple trees. Just the sight of it makes me crave a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I see the fall season as a period of transition. It is the time I usually start reflecting on what the future holds and I what I want out of life. I have to say, I consider it the best season of the year.
I wasn’t always a fan of change, but I am learning to embrace it. I find the fall season is the best time to prepare for new beginnings like starting to put those lists together of the things that you want to do and taking steps toward that goal. As we all know, many of us hold back from moving forward because we are afraid of the unknown. Just think what would happen if we weren’t afraid and if we made a decision to take a path down a road that is uncharted territory. I have seen many people paralyzed to move forward because they weren’t sure if the choice they would make would be the right one. I realized a long time ago that not making a decision is actually making a choice not to move forward – not saying yes and not saying no – just letting things flow. Sometimes there are circumstances where we need to do that in life, but typically when making career or business decision, that is just not the way to go.
So, how does a person overcome that fear to make a decision? I like to assess the risk of the situation:
• What is the worst thing that could happen?
• If the worst happens, what would I do?
• Who can I speak with to help me with this decision?
• Who is the most knowledgeable on this subject?
• If needed, what steps do I need to put in place to support my decision?
The answers to these questions are my building blocks that I keep assembling until I have enough information to make a choice. Any block that seems too big or unachievable, I break into smaller pieces that are more manageable. Then, I move forward choosing a direction - choosing the best course based on the limited information I have at the time, knowing that I may not know all of the information present but I made the best choice I could with the limited information I had. I mean limited information, because if I knew everything about the situation I wouldn’t be concerned, right? Right!
Handling decision-making this way works for me. What I have found out is, in the end I am more comfortable with the choices I make, I can see a path forward, and I am actively taking steps to support that decision.
Carrie Skuban has over 15 years of experience and is Senior Manager with MidDel Consulting, a System Integrator and Professional Services firm specializing in services supporting the business systems for Front, Back, and Mid-Office. MidDel has been in business for over 16 years, and our consultants, on average bring over 25 years of senior level energy industry knowledge to our projects. We have deep relationships with our clients, often working with them for more than a decade.
For more information, email us at info@middelgrp.com or call #952-500-9275.
