Your Responsibility As a Leader Decision-Making With Limited Information

Andrew A. Karow Chief Digital Officer Alpine Bank

Primary Takeaway If you only remember one thing from this conference… - Your #1 responsibility as a leader is to help your employees reach their full potential

Effective Leadership Let them know what is expected Why is this a good idea? Consider public/private settings, group/individual communications… Can your expectations possibly change during these conversations? What can happen without gaining a mutual understanding of expectations?

Effective Leadership Tell them how they are doing Is there anyone here that does not appreciate constructive feedback? Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you weren’t doing something right that you didn’t even know? Can having a difficult conversation with a direct report help you gain respect as a leader? Again, consider public/private settings and group/individual interactions for a given situation.

Effective Leadership Help them feel important Does everyone like the spotlight? Maybe not, but does everyone like to feel important? What’s the value in making someone feel important? What can be the downside of not achieving this with an employee? Think of your best boss ever…

Effective Leadership Treat them with respect Why is this important? Is there ever value in burning a bridge? How does you showing respect for people help your company?

Decision-Making Considerations in Decision-Making - Remember that all decisions are not created equal There are decisions worth spending a lot of time on. And there are those we shouldn’t waste any on. The key here is figuring out how to tell the difference. Think about past decisions you’ve made and decide if it’s really worth the time you’re giving it.

Decision-Making Considerations in Decision-Making - Change your perspective You ever notice how it’s easier to give advice than take it? This is because we like to get in our own way. From an outside perspective things can seem cut-and-dry. When we look at it from our own point of view, things aren’t as clear. Sometimes, it helps to step away from the situation, make someone else the focal point, and decide the best course of action for that person.

Decision-Making Considerations in Decision-Making - Pros and cons So, you probably just said “duh” in your head, but how often do you actually go through the process of listing pros and cons? Probably not often. You may be focusing on a single pro (or con) and that focus can lead you astray. Listing pros and cons can help reveal the clearest picture, which is ideal when you’re making a big decision.

Decision-Making Considerations in Decision-Making - Bounce it off someone Whether at home or the office, you don’t have to make every decision on your own. Find a trusted friend or colleague and find out their thoughts on the situation. They may see things you don’t, and you’ll be glad when they point out something you never thought of.

Decision-Making Considerations in Decision-Making - Look at options If you choose A, what effect will that have? If you choose B, what effect will that have? Sometimes your decisions will have lasting effects on other areas, and you need to see that in the big picture before you can evaluate the situation properly.

Decision-Making May never have full information Could always have more info How often do you have less complete information than you realize at the time? Can you ever count on having truly complete information for a situation? What are your options here?

Decision-Making Costs of Decision-Making - Being Wrong Who has made a decision today that turned out to be wrong? What are the consequences of being wrong? Are there any benefits of being wrong?

Decision-Making Costs of Decision-Making Waiting Will waiting change your decision? How many people enjoy waiting on anything? Anyone here guilty of paralysis by analysis? Is it better to have a clear plan now or no plan because things will probably change later? George Patton – “A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” Organizations learn by making decisions, even bad ones If you wait, what will you learn? Perfection paralysis

Discussion Helping employees reach their full potential Let them know what is expected Tell them how they are doing Help them feel important Treat them with respect Leadership Let Them Know What Is Expected Why is this a good idea? Consider public/private settings, group/individual communications… Can your expectations possibly change during these conversations? What can happen without gaining a mutual understanding of expectations?   Tell Them How They Are Doing Is there anyone here that does not appreciate constructive feedback? Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you weren’t doing something right that you didn’t even know? Can having a difficult conversation with a direct report help you gain respect as a leader? Again, consider public/private settings and group/individual interactions for a given situation. Help Them Feel Important Does everyone like the spotlight? Maybe not, but does everyone like to feel important? What’s the value in making someone feel important? What can be the downside of not achieving this with an employee? Think of your best boss ever… Treat Them With Respect Why is this important? Is there ever value in burning a bridge? How does you showing respect for people help your company? Decision-Making May Never Have Full Information How often do you have less complete information than you realize at the time? Can you ever count on having truly complete information for a situation? What are your options here? Costs of Decision-Making  Being Wrong Who has made a decision today that turned out to be wrong? What are the consequences of being wrong? Are there any benefits of being wrong? Costs of Decision-Making  Waiting How many people enjoy waiting on anything? Anyone here guilty of paralysis by analysis? Is it better to have a clear plan now or no plan because things will probably change later? George Patton – “A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” Organizations learn by making decisions, even bad ones

Discussion Considerations in decision-making All decisions are not created equal Change your perspective Pros and cons Bounce it off someone Look at options Leadership Let Them Know What Is Expected Why is this a good idea? Consider public/private settings, group/individual communications… Can your expectations possibly change during these conversations? What can happen without gaining a mutual understanding of expectations?   Tell Them How They Are Doing Is there anyone here that does not appreciate constructive feedback? Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you weren’t doing something right that you didn’t even know? Can having a difficult conversation with a direct report help you gain respect as a leader? Again, consider public/private settings and group/individual interactions for a given situation. Help Them Feel Important Does everyone like the spotlight? Maybe not, but does everyone like to feel important? What’s the value in making someone feel important? What can be the downside of not achieving this with an employee? Think of your best boss ever… Treat Them With Respect Why is this important? Is there ever value in burning a bridge? How does you showing respect for people help your company? Decision-Making May Never Have Full Information How often do you have less complete information than you realize at the time? Can you ever count on having truly complete information for a situation? What are your options here? Costs of Decision-Making  Being Wrong Who has made a decision today that turned out to be wrong? What are the consequences of being wrong? Are there any benefits of being wrong? Costs of Decision-Making  Waiting How many people enjoy waiting on anything? Anyone here guilty of paralysis by analysis? Is it better to have a clear plan now or no plan because things will probably change later? George Patton – “A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” Organizations learn by making decisions, even bad ones

Wrap Up Make the Call One Thing - What is the one thing about leadership to remember from this presentation? (Help your employees develop their full potential)

Andrew A. Karow Chief Digital Officer Alpine Bank andrewkarow@alpinebank.com 970-384-3234