When you run a newsroom team, there’s no shortage of pressure. One of the most challenging pressure points is decision-making.
Someone comes to you with a suggestion, a story idea, a request. You feel you need to be decisive. So you answer. The decision boomerangs. When a decsion backfires, take responsibility and, if possible, undo it, or fix what you can, and move on. No one makes the right decision all the time.
But do learn from the bad ones. Did you have to make an immediate decision? Did you have enough information? Could you have improved on the request with a little more thought?
There are many decisions that are evident and that are inherent in your job, particularly on daily deadline. You are probably most confident with these decisions. And you know the hot button issues that you have to take to your boss, such as whether to extend the deadline for a developing story or whether you can use an anonymous source or name a juvenile offender.
Most often, the tougher decisions center on issues such as priorities, projects, available resources, coordination, and staffing and shifts.
As you think about how you make decisions, jettison the wrong reasons for making a snap decision. Among them:
• “I run this team. I have to have answers when asked.”
• “My team will think I’m indecisive if I don’t make a decision immediately.”
• “I’m uncertain, but one of my staff members is pressuring me.”
• “If I delay, my team will think I’m running to my boss for an OK, and they will think I don’t have authority to act.”
Replace those wrong reasons with a quick mental flash test:
• Is the need to answer urgent?
• Is the decision mine to make?
• Do I know enough about the situation to make a good decision?
Once you’ve flash-tested, then you can then see paths to take. A few examples:
Urgent, but not your decision to make and it affects others. You quickly respond and get the right people involved.
Urgent, your decision, but you don’t know enough. If you see some merit from what you know, make time immediately to get filled in on what you don’t know. Stay flexible. It may be urgent, but further information may uncover implications for others that you hadn’t anticipated.
Not urgent, your decision, but you don’t know enough. While there may be no rush, the ball stays in your court until you take some action. So be earnest. Make time to work with your team member to fill in the info gaps. If you’re still uncertain, it may be a sign that while this may be your decision, it’s a close call. Talking it through with your boss or some third party may unlock what’s nagging at you.
Not urgent, affects others. Again, you want to be earnest. You’ll need everyone affected at the table and it’s a good time to inform your boss about the idea and the meeting. If there is only lukewarm support for the idea, but you still want to pursue it, you and your team member may redraft the idea to strengthen it. Then you may become an advocate, testing it again with those affected and if necessary and you truly believe in it, taking a strong case for it to your boss. If the idea still doesn’t fly, then put it aside. It may resurface later.
Regardless of the outcome of any of these examples, you made a decision to pursue the ideas with others. Sometimes the best decision is no decision — at least, not an immediate one. Sometimes you’ll be able to implement part of an idea. Sometimes, the boss might grease the way with other departments because he or she sees potential. And sometimes you have to say no.
But whatever the decision — yes, no, maybe, not yet — get back to the individual in a timely way. Most people are willing to hear bad news about an idea or request. They are much less understanding when an idea or request is never answered. Make your decisions wisely, make them timely, and explain them well.
