In short, we build bends into our own information rivers which enable us to work more easily on any one part of a process, even if overall effort required is more than it need be.

The problem in changing this situation is that it is counter-intuitive to do something ‘hard way’ – even in short term – when an ‘easy way’ is already at hand. It requires concerted effort to change a habit – in same way that it requires a flood to break banks of a river and forge a new, more efficient, direction.

On other hand, principle of ‘path of least resistance’ means that once a new process is successfully established, it is almost impossible to find old one again. The banks of river, once broken, will never be same again.

Ask yourself how path of least resistance applies to your workplace? You will find plenty of examples if you look hard enough. As you get busier, are you simply going to widen windy river – or be smart and build a pipeline?

Business decisions can, of course, be much more complex than these examples. To be made effectively, business decisions can require considerable analysis, review and consultation. A host of decision-making tools have been developed to assist this process.

But business is also characterised by numerous small, day-to-day decisions. These can be just as taxing on resources of decision makers if there is not clarity of purpose or direction.

Well-run businesses know this. They make significant investment up-front in clarifying and communicating their purpose. They establish systems and processes, rules and guidelines which give people at all levels clarity and confidence to make good, quick decisions themselves. As a result, routine decisions get made more quickly, leaving more time for proper consideration of truly big ones.

******************************************************

Effective decision making is a big topic which cannot be covered sufficiently in an article of this length. In future articles we will return to this topic and look at some of tools and processes which can enable better decision making. In meantime, your thoughts on issue would be most welcome: feedback@businesssimplification.com.au

© David Brewster, March 2002