Stress, Safety, and Split-Second Decisions: How to Prepare Your Team

For as many advances in techniques and technologies there have been in business, one thing remains constant. Business moves fast, and the people who make decisions need to match that energy. Naturally, the people responsible will experience quite a lot of stress when making these decisions.  Choices made under may not produce the results desired.

That’s why leaders must teach their team the importance of calm under pressure. With the right knowledge and training, even split-second decisions can be made with clarity and confidence. It’s similar to mastering safe and confident driving — success depends not just on speed, but on staying aware, composed, and in control when it counts.

Why Does Speed Matter For Business?

Simply put, opportunities don’t last forever. These events could make or break the business, and one false choice changes everything. If business growth is on your mind,  then you need to take the necessary steps to make it a reality. Say a startup company has promising plans but needs strong partners. That company won’t be waiting around for your choice.

They will be looking around for partners, because startups are in a risky spot. They need to be stable and fast. If you’re that stable partner, you may be on the ground floor of a lucrative business.  On the other hand, a decision made in haste has obvious risks.

While profit potential is there, startups are also infamously volatile. Investments aren’t cheap. In the worst-case scenario, a startup may just be looking for quick capital and saying anything positive to get that money.  So, when a startup comes to you with that decision with a time limit, what exactly do you need to know to make an informed yet fast choice?

Teaching Your Team How To Make Split-Second Decisions

Information Gathering

Your team must collect data efficiently and accurately. Without the luxury of time, teams must know which key details to look out for. More importantly, these details must be based on fact, not predictions. Basics such as costs and what plans the partner has should be high on the list.

The technology used matters as well. While face-to-face meetings and presentations are best, have regular email correspondence with the lead. The speed and, more importantly, depth of their response should clue you in on their abilities.   

Market Research

Teams must be on top of industry trends to meet customer needs. Regular research on the wider industry must be up to snuff. Surveys of customers, keeping track of fads (and the ones that aren’t) help you make faster decisions for the future. A mind takes to knowledge like a blade takes to a whetstone.

In this case, the whetstone is made of market trends and data. The personal aspect matters too. Take note of the most common demands from customers and see if your choices will help achieve these goals. After all, those choices arguably affect them as much as the business.

Real-Time Communication

Instant communication is one of the greatest modern luxuries. Utilizing apps such as Slack and WhatsApp allows you to communicate with team members from anywhere. If an opportunity just so happens to be a few countries away, the phone call doesn’t have to wait for a round-trip ticket. Keeping in contact with teams through technology is a must.

Make sure employees have access to smartphones with robust data plans. This is to ensure they can talk with the team at any time. If face-to-face must be done, it’s best to have employees who can safely and quickly drive to the office. Of course, messaging ahead of time means they can have data ready on-site.

Different Perspectives

There’s a reason boards and councils are so popular among businesses. While a strong leader is necessary, they cannot make decisions by themselves. They must learn to value different perspectives. Where one person might see risk, another sees opportunity. For example, a senior team member may play things too safely with their base knowledge.

Meanwhile, an eager but intelligent new hire may know things the company doesn’t. Now, that doesn’t mean one opinion is more important than another. It simply means whoever makes the call should weigh these decisions against each other and see which is more beneficial.

Accountability

Every decision must lead somewhere with a concrete trail. Whether a decision is good or bad, knowing who made it is essential. It gives the business a concrete foundation for similar decisions in the future. In the case of “wrong” decisions, it’s a great time to reflect on what could be improved.

To keep accountability easy to track, set milestones. Make a checklist of what the team wants accomplished. A new branch should meet a certain quota or drive up sales by a reasonable percentage, for example.

Value Proposition

Some opportunities may seem foolproof and safe, but that doesn’t necessarily make them worthy of investment. After all, it might not bring that much revenue to your business. That’s why one must see past the flashiness of a business proposition.

For quick decisions, especially, one must be a little bit “selfish.” While there will always be risk, it’s important to note that the other party has a lot to risk too. They want to be careful. If they aren’t, then that may mean they are rash, which again, should inform your decision.

Conclusion

The best way to minimize stress for split-second decisions is good old-fashioned knowledge and training. It may not sound exciting for some, but reliable tactics work for a reason. The fundamentals covered above can be calculated within a matter of days by a competent team.