Choices

What would life and business be like if everyone took full responsibility for themselves?

If they didn’t pass the buck, if they extended themselves beyond their job description, realized their paycheck was not a right but an earned metric, created solutions rather than extending issues, served rather than portrayed entitlement?

“Indecision is debilitating. It feeds upon itself; one might almost say, habit forming. Not only that, but it is contagious; it transmits itself onto others … Business is dependent upon action. It cannot go forward by hesitation. Those in executive positions must fortify themselves with facts and accept responsibility for decisions based upon them. Often greater risk is involved postponement than making the wrong decision. ‘One of these days,’ is none of these days,” said Harry A. Hopf.

It was 20 years ago when I first read Mr. Hopf’s words on business management. What struck me than was that this was written in the early 1900’s and it resonated eloquently in the 1990’s.

(Then again, Michael Bolton had a number one song that year so anything of substance would have stood out.)

Fast forward to present time and businesses are more dependent on acute action and unwavering accountability, but now it’s no longer solely in the hands of executives. If you agree with me that “everything communicates,” nothing “communicates” worse than inability of action.

I am positive that many people have no idea where they’re going these days. Not in life, love or business. Worse, I get the feeling they just don’t care. Lewis Carrolls' Cheshire Cat famous from Alice in Wonderland remarked, “If you don’t care very much where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Are we an “any road” society?

Faith Popcorn wrote about the danger of too many choices, “We used to believe we can become anything we wanted to be. Now we tell ourselves we can be everything we want to be.” Problem is that most people are afraid to choose because they don’t want to leave anything out or worse will make the wrong decision.

At STIR-Communications, we work hard at empowering all to make choices on their own, sometimes manufacturing decision making opportunities even when not necessary, simply to reinforce the importance of decisive action at every level.

My experience is most decisions (ending wrong) are not nearly as monumental as not making the choice to begin with. Later today, you will be forced to make a decision. I hope you take a moment to think about the options and then do what needs to be done, no waffling. Pull the trigger and ride the bullet.

All my best,

Greg

Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com