The 3 Key Components in Decision Making.

The way decisions are taken in companies is very linked to their corporate culture, management structure and leadership styles ...

There is an interesting variety of patterns in the way decisions are taken that tell a lot about how companies work and about their competitive context:

- If they are more on the flexible, continuous change ...or the traditional, conservative side..

- if their management structure and style is very flat and straightforward... or very hierarchical and pyramidal

- if the culture is about inspiring and delegating or more about pushing and controlling

Whatever the culture, country or language, there are always three components that always influence decision making.

-The Rational component : what rationally logically analytically justifies decisions

-The Emotional : the non rational dimension, influenced by intuition, feelings, perceptions, mindset or emotions...

-The Political : coming from corporate dos & don'ts, from the influences and powers in the organization, depending on the personalities, relationships, formal or informal high level agreements and engagements.

All three are always present.

They are present in everything that happens...In any decisions taken... or not taken...

Which components are the most present in your company?

Is this bringing value to the business? Is it delivering results?

Are there any changes you would like to create?

The power of emotions : How do you manage yours?

The modern world, in particular the Corporate world, is based on efficiency, production, profitability, speed. It leave no place or time for emotions.

In such demanding and hectic environments, people become harder, more rigid and stolid ... They turn their backs on their feelings and emotions. They slowly build a protection from the outside world, a shell, an armour and lock themselves inside it. They often live their lives and act on a daily basis from inside this isolating shell.

At the same time as human beings we are social creatures and mammals. Because of that our emotions are basic in our lives. They bring us energy, show us the way, are our compass and connection to the world. Without emotions we would be machines.

How to reconcile modern life and emotions?

How to avoid getting trapped in this shell?

People’s leadership, efficiency and balance are enhanced by their ability to connect with their emotions or disconnect from them. They depend on their capacity to emotionally associate or dissociate themselves.

When heart surgeons are operating a three year old child, they'd better not be emotional or nervous about it when holding the scalpel!

They need to dissociate from their emotions to be as attentive, professional and accurate as required.

When executives are communicating or facilitating meetings, they are more efficient and influential when they are present, human, authentic, emotionally involving and inspiring... Rather than acting like a robot.

Connecting with emotions is required to be totally present, to influence, mobilize and have impact.

The complexity lies in creating the right balance ... One that works best for each one of us... to avoid acting like an automated machine or conversely, avoid being emotionally fragile or weak.

Developing your ability to associate yourself with your emotions or dissociate yourself from them will give you power in your life and in your interactions with people. Develop your agility and flexibility to do so.

Influence and power are not about behaving like machines.

Turn on your emotions. They are what is the most personal, intimate and powerful in you.

But manage them. Do not let them invade you when it is not the right time and let them express themselves when it is appropriate to do so.

How do you manage your emotions?

Anybody there?

Have you ever had a conversation with people that no matter what you saying they does not listen. They were in their world, in their understanding, in their interpretation, in their history .... And it seems nothing can take them out...

On another occasion, maybe yourself you happened to be busy and preoccupied and you realized after a conversation that you have not heard or listened to what the other had to say. ... You believed you knew what they wanted to say and now you realize that maybe not ... You actually have no idea... And now, you are missing their ideas, their opinions, their tips, these exchanges...

How come we can accelerate ourselves like this and flee the present moment? .... We are absent ... We are a caricature of ourselves pretending to have a conversation ...

Why don’t we realize what is going on, take the time to re-focus and re-connect with the moment?

What fears, what automatisms, what habits make us turn on our autopilot?

Be aware of yourself. Of your moods, your anxieties, your bad habits. Identify when you're not present 100 percent. And manage yourself, take a moment to calm down, relax, breathe, focus.

When you are present, you do not interrupt, do not impose, you hear, listen, you manage perceptions, judge less, you understand, learn, you communicate ...

A minute or two may be enough. Take these few minutes and your quality of life, of  relationships, your presence and impact in your life and in the world will suddenly considerably improve ...

Got a minute or two?

What are you trying to control?

What do you want to control?

With the fear of uncertainty we tend to create routines and automatic behaviours, as if we could stop time, avoid changes, control events...

We put a lot of effort in staying inside our comfort zones, in our well controlled, well established and well organized lives. Being organized reassures us, gives us the illusion that we can control our lives, our destiny ... That we can avoid suffering, avoid being thoughtful, bored, sad...

Through this desire to control we create our own limitations. We look at the present and at the future with the eyes of the past. We do not perceive all our possibilities, the numerous capabilities we have. We prefer not to see all the potential we have in us...

Unveiling this potential, daring to do something with it, trying new things, innovating ... that would take us away from our imperious need to control...
When you create something new, when you step out of your comfort zone, the unknown pops in and appear the possibilities of making mistakes, of taking risks, of failing...

So you tend to go back to your routine, to structuring and organizing your days, your activities, your life ... And this incredible potential you have just remains inside you... unveiled, unexpressed, unused...

What are you trying to control?
In what are you limiting yourself?

What could you do today that may be different?
What could you dare to try?

Take some time for yourself, time to do something that may perhaps be less productive, more pleasant, more different or extreme... but do something YOU want to do!
Connect with what you have in you. 
Let it speak.
Give it time. Freedom. Try it.
Do it. Now!