Working with or for someone who struggles to make a decision can drain even the best employee. Whether it’s deciding what to have for lunch or the best strategy to save money in the upcoming quarter, knowing how to support your indecisive boss without overstepping your boundaries is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face in your career. So how do you survive working for an indecisive boss without having your career trajectory or self-esteem crushed in the process?
Brush up your “sounding board” skills
Many bosses who aren’t comfortable making decisions or making decisions quickly know this about themselves. They should look for people to surround themselves with who are good listeners, so they can talk through their options and feel confident in the decision they end up making. The more ways you can make your boss feel supported, the more quickly and deeply his or her trust in you will grow. Another tool you can introduce your boss to is the Eisenhower Matrix. This is often used to prioritize tasks and understand the workload of a team. However, applied correctly, this may help your boss get through their decision making process more quickly.
Take the lead by helping your boss sort through information and then offer a clear recommendation
In addition to being a great sounding board, and good listener, you can also support your boss by helping to organize the information he or she is giving you, and provide additional perspective. Nancy Rothbard, the David Pottruck Professor of Management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School explains,“Giving your boss more data to pore over will not necessarily help him/her move forward.” In these cases, “you need to help your boss sort through the information” and then offer “a clear rationale for your recommendation,” Rothbard says.
Seek out colleagues who have influence over your boss and ask for their advice on how to handle the decision making process with your boss
People often say that it “takes a village” when discussing what is required to successfully raise children. You might want to apply that same mantra to getting your boss more comfortable with quickly and efficiently making decisions. Is there someone in your organization that your boss relies on for information or mentorship or just good old fashioned advice? Seek out that person and explain your position and what you need from your boss when it comes to decision making. Not only will this person likely be happy to talk to your boss as a peer, he or she will also probably have some good advice on how to deal with your indecisive leader.
In addition to the three things above that you should do to deal with a boss that has trouble making decisions, here are three things you should not do. One. Don’t take your boss’s behavior personally. Two. Don’t aggressively confront your boss about his or her behavior. Three. Don’t stay working for a boss that can’t make a decision, your reputation could sustain a hit just through proximity. While working for an indecisive boss isn’t fun, it doesn’t have to derail or stunt your career. These do’s and don’ts should help you successfully navigate working for someone who struggles to pick a direction and stick with it.